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The company's CEO claims that affordable and reliable vehicles with combustion engines are a priority for US buyers:
Mazda is late to the electrification party. The MX-30 is far from being the roaring success the Japanese automaker had hoped it would be. It was axed from the United States at the end of the 2023 model year due to poor sales. The range-extending version with a rotary engine is only offered in certain markets, and the US is not on the list. In addition, the EZ-6 electric sedan isn't coming here either. However, the situation isn't all that bad.
Why? Because Americans primarily want gas cars. Speaking with Automotive News, Mazda CEO Masahiro Moro said ICE has a long future in America. Even at the end of the decade, traditional gas cars and mild-hybrid models will make up about two-thirds of annual sales. Plug-in hybrids and EVs will represent the remaining third. In other words, most vehicles will still have a gas engine five years from now.
Mazda's head honcho primarily referred to entry-level models, specifically the 3 and CX-30. Moro believes EV growth in the US has slowed down in the last 18 months or so, adding the trend will likely continue in the foreseeable future. That buys the company more time to develop a lithium-ion battery entirely in-house. The goal is to have it ready for 2030 in plug-in hybrids and purely electric cars. Expect a much higher energy density and "very short" charging times. Interestingly, the engineers already have a "very advanced research base for solid-state batteries."
In the meantime, work is underway on a two-rotor gas engine that will serve as a generator.
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(Score: 5, Insightful) by vux984 on Saturday December 14 2024, @12:12AM
but they cost more upfront; you aren't really saving money if the financing costs are eating those savings
Yeah, anywhere you have a plug, which is actually a major issue. Most people in townhouses/condos/apartments and renting basement suites do not have access to a plug at home or at work.
I had nowhere to plug in when i lived in a townhouse, not at home, nor at work. I have a garage now, but my kids park on the street, and they don't have access to plugs at work either. I doubt if even half the urban population can actually can plug in "conveniently", and this is a HUGE deal. If you can't plug in I'm not sure an EV makes any sense at all. From what I've read - the VAST majority of EV owners can charge at home suggesting pretty clearly that people who don't have access to a plug at home aren't buying EV cars.
It is 100% true the electric drive train needs virtually no service. But its also true that gas car drive trains are pretty bullet proof too, especially for the first 10 years. There's a reason they have the longest warranty on the car. So you don't have to replace the timing chain or clutch every 10-20 years in your EV, hurrah.
The suspension will still collapse, the tires wear out, the autolevelling headlight will fail, and lane keeping sensors will work intermittently, the sunroof jams, the power door lock on the rear passenger stops working, the mirror adjustment motor breaks, the seat adjustment controls don't work, the rear view camera cover intermittently doesn't open, the air conditioning condenser dies, the ventilation fan in the rear driver side climate zone starts buzzing, bluetooth keeps resetting the connection to your phone during calls, the app won't unlock the doors, the wiper fluid tank cracks and leaks... EV cars are still chock FULL the stuff that breaks.
I have 3 cars, and drive train issues is simply not where I'm spending money on them. The 23 year old one has had its timing belt replaced twice as part of regular service intervals, and its clutch replaced once. And I've spent a few thousand over the years fixing oil leaks and doing the regular drive train maintenance. But the cost of that is dwarfed by the 'other stuff' i've had to do over the years. And at 23 years I'd probably be into a new battery pack on an EV.
Yea, markedly faster off the line than most cars especially cars at similar price points, with a low centre of gravity. Fun to hit the gas and feel the torque hit right away. I'll give you that.
But most are also limited by thermals (ie most can't be driven aggressively for long without overheating), and thus can't really be used as weekend track toys at all.
And most are really heavy making them land yachts in comparison to actual performance cars.
Bottom line, If you want an actual performance car, you probably aren't buying an EV.