Mazda may be behind much of the market when it comes to electric vehicles (EVs), but it has a not-so-secret weapon to catch-up.
The recently launched 6e is the first product of the Japanese brand's decades long partnership with China's Changan Automobiles to reach Australian showrooms, and it won't be the last. The sedan's SUV sibling, the CX-6e, is already confirmed for local launch and Mazda 6e Program Manager, Hiroshi Ozawa, hasn't ruled out more models built in China joining the local range.
Ozawa explained that Mazda has been able to learn a lot from its partnership with Changan, as the Chinese market is far more developed with both EVs and plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) and that will be beneficial in speeding up Mazda's adoption of these lower-emission powertrains.
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" The Chinese market, actually over 60 per cent is EV and the PHEV, and we call them NEV, 'new energy vehicles,'" Ozawa said.
"That includes EV and PHEV and that mix is over 60 per cent… in the coastal area. The metropolitan area [it is] over 70 per cent mix. So in that sense, the technology development for the battery is also growing very fast."
In addition to the higher volume of these so-called new energy vehicles, the Chinese industry has become highly capable of developing this technology quicker and that is something Mazda can learn from. But Ozawa also said it was a two-way street, with Changan able to also learn from Mazda's strengths.
"How they develop the vehicles, compared to the traditional OEMs, their way of making things is different, and we can learn those things," he said.
"We have a joint venture with Changan Automobile so that we can absorb their strengths. And also we have strengths like driving, design, quality, those are what we are stronger [at], so what they can learn from us and through that we can develop a fantastic vehicle together. So that's the kind of learning we have."
Without wanting to dive into the specifics of what Mazda learned from Changan, which sells a modified version of the Mazda 6e as the Deepal L07 in China, Ozawa said the Chinese automotive industry is leading the way with its use of Artificial Intelligence (AI), not only in-vehicles for connected car services, but also the development of the cars themselves.
"Generally speaking, China is advanced," he said. "They are ahead in those areas like connectivity and they are far advanced with AI, and they are going to produce the models using AI. So for that kind of thing, I think each OEM is going to learn from China. So we ourselves will also do the same. We will make sure to learn from this."
The addition of the CX-6e later this year will double Mazda's EV portfolio in Australia but with EV sales hitting 23.3 per cent of the market in June, the brand may need more electric and PHEV models sooner rather than later if demand continues. Ozawa wouldn't reveal any details but left the door wide open for more Chinese-built Mazdas to join the Australian showroom.
" We already announced [CX-6e] publicly, but after that model reveal, we're not in the position to talk about [future models] now," he said. " But, we have a multi-solution strategy around that… we have partnerships with many other companies, not only Changan, so that we can introduce the right products to the right market at the right timing. So not only with Changan, but we have other partnerships. So we're trying to explore a lot of possibilities."
