Mazda is considering making electric vehicles for the North American market in Mexico starting in 2028, according to a recent report. auto news report.
According to reports, the Japanese automaker is planning two EVs for North America, citing Mazda CEO Masahiro Moro, who took over Akira Marumoto last month.
One of the planned EVs will be based on an existing architecture that could also accommodate hybrid and internal combustion powertrains, while the other will be based on a dedicated EV platform. Both models will be introduced between 2025-2027, with initial production in Japan and localized production in North America thereafter.
2023 Mazda MX-30 EV
Moving production to Mexico will allow vehicles to qualify for the federal electric vehicle tax credit. The new rules include regulations on local assembly and sourcing of raw materials, but they treat vehicles assembled in Mexico the same way as vehicles assembled in the US. It therefore seems no coincidence that BMW recently announced plans to build its next-generation “Neue Klasse” electric vehicle in Mexico, and Tesla is reportedly also considering building a factory in Mexico.
Mazda already has an assembly plant in Salamanca, Mexico, where the Mazda 2, Mazda 3, CX-3, and CX-30 (not all of which are sold in the US) models are built—all with internal combustion powertrains. The automaker’s only other North American plant is a joint venture with Toyota in Huntsville, Alabama, that currently produces the CX-50 crossover.
2023 Mazda MX-30 EV
Mazda was first mentioned Its dedicated EV platform in 2021, which at the time said it would be ready in 2025. The automaker also buy cylindrical batterypossibly from Panasonic, which is building a large plant in Kansas City, Missouri, to serve the North American electric vehicle market.
Under previous CEO Marumoto, Mazda launched a business plan calling for $10.6 billion to spend on electrification by 2030. Mazda is targeting that 40% of global electric vehicle sales theretofore.
But in the United States — and elsewhere — longer-range EVs are not the future, they say. Mazda’s only current electric vehicle, MX-30, has only 100 miles of EPA range and is as rare as an exotic sports car. Extended shooting range MX-30 R-EV is on the way but is yet to be confirmed for the US.
