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The ‘E-Mazda’ Team Prepares a True Driver’s EV for 2027

Mazda has never rushed to follow the crowd. While most of the automotive world has been racing to electrify lineups and chase range numbers, Hiroshima’s favorite underdog has stayed busy doing what it does best—refining the art of the drive. But now, the company is stepping firmly into the EV era. The first bespoke Mazda electric vehicle is officially in development, with prototypes already running and a launch slated for 2027.

For a brand that built its identity around lightweight sports cars and soulful combustion engines, this marks a historic shift. Until now, Mazda’s EV experiments have been built on borrowed bones. The MX-30, its first electric crossover, shared its structure with the CX-30. And the upcoming EZ-60 SUV and 6e sedan will rely on underpinnings from Mazda’s Chinese joint venture with Dongfeng. But this new platform—developed completely in-house—signals a clean break from that past.

Chief Technology Officer Ryuichi Umeshita confirmed the move represents Mazda’s next phase of electrification. “We’ve established our own electrification development team, which we call E-Mazda, and that team has been doing a great job,” he told Autocar. “I’ve driven a prototype already—it’s a real jinba ittai car.” That Japanese term, meaning “horse and rider as one,” has long been the company’s guiding principle for driver engagement. The message is clear: this EV won’t just be efficient—it will feel like a Mazda.

Umeshita admits Mazda is “behind rivals” in launching a dedicated EV platform, but he’s quick to frame that as deliberate rather than negligent. The MX-30 program, he says, gave Mazda’s engineers valuable experience in electric powertrains and packaging. “We have a lot of good, experienced engineers already,” he noted. “I don’t think we’re behind the market because of that.”

As for what form the first ground-up Mazda EV will take, that’s still undecided. It could be a volume-selling crossover to meet tightening global regulations, or something more niche—perhaps a driver-focused model to make a statement. “It depends on the market and the regulations,” Umeshita explained. “If the regulation requires a higher EV mix, it must be a volume car. If the regulation is eased, we can ease the volume restraints.”

Behind the scenes, Mazda is overhauling its entire development process. The company’s so-called “lean asset strategy” uses advanced simulation tools, AI-assisted engineering, and strategic supplier partnerships to cut costs and lead times dramatically. Mazda claims this approach allows its teams to complete three times as much development work with the same resources—a vital advantage for an independent automaker competing in an industry dominated by global giants.

Still, for Mazda, it’s not just about efficiency—it’s about emotion. If Umeshita’s early drive impressions are any indication, the brand’s first bespoke EV might just prove that even in a silent, battery-powered future, Mazda can still make a car that feels alive.

Source: Mazda

NEW CARS

Mazda Vision X-Coupé: The Rotary Revival Nobody Saw Coming

Mazda has done it again—just when you think the rotary engine is finally dead and buried, Hiroshima’s engineers dig it up, electrify it, and make it cleaner than ever.

Meet the Mazda Vision X-Coupé, a 503-hp sports saloon that blends a rotary-electric hybrid drivetrain with a claimed 500-mile range and a design language that’s part sculpture, part science fiction. Shown at the Tokyo Motor Show, it’s both a spiritual successor to the RX-Vision of 2015 and a technical evolution of the Iconic SP concept that wowed crowds two years ago.

The Rotary Rises Again

Unlike the MX-30 R-EV, where the rotary acts only as a generator, the Vision X-Coupé’s twin-rotor turbocharged engine actually drives the wheels—just like the legendary RX-7 and RX-8 did. The powertrain is part of a plug-in hybrid system good for around 100 miles of EV-only range, with the rotary stepping in when the battery runs dry.

Mazda’s engineers call it a bold bridge between old-school combustion character and next-gen sustainability. It’s not just about efficiency—it’s about redemption for the rotary.

Carbon-Negative Ambitions

Ryuichi Umeshita, Mazda’s Chief Technical Officer, calls the new setup a potential “carbon-negative” powertrain. The secret? A rotary engine running on microalgae-derived fuel that emits up to 90% less CO₂ than gasoline, paired with a carbon-capture system that trims another 20%. In theory, the more you drive, the cleaner the planet gets.

“So theoretically,” Umeshita told reporters, “we can reduce emissions by 110 percent. That means as you run, you make the Earth cleaner.”

It’s a wild claim—and one that makes battery EVs suddenly look a little… flat-footed. Mazda argues that unlike expensive synthetic e-fuels, microalgae can be produced cheaply, doesn’t require new fueling infrastructure, and can power today’s engines without major modification. If they can scale it, the implications are massive.

Challenges Under the Hood

Of course, the rotary still has its demons. Emissions and efficiency have always been its Achilles’ heels, and Mazda admits there’s more work to do before it can meet modern standards. “The next level of development is achieving good emissions across a wide RPM range,” Umeshita said. “We still need two to three years to make it viable.”

That’s why, for now, the MX-30’s rotary remains a generator only, humming quietly in the background while Mazda’s newly formed Rotary Engine Development Group works on the next-gen version. According to Umeshita, that unit already clears global emissions standards, including U.S. ones—no small feat.

Design: Kodo Evolved

At 5050mm long and 1480mm tall, the Vision X-Coupé sits in the same league as the Polestar 5 and Lotus Emeya—low, long, and unapologetically grand-tourer in stance. The design evolves Mazda’s Kodo philosophy with a long, sculpted bonnet, a cab-rear silhouette, and surfacing so clean you could slice light with it. It’s sensual, not overdrawn—a masterclass in restraint.

If the Iconic SP was Mazda dreaming of a mid-engine future, the Vision X-Coupé brings things back to the front, emphasizing grand touring comfort and electric endurance over raw minimalism. Think RX-Vision elegance meets Taycan presence.

A Vision, Not Yet a Promise

Mazda is clear: the Vision X-Coupé isn’t a production car—at least not in this exact form. But the company says its design cues and rotary-electric technology will reach the road within three years. Given Mazda’s recent resurgence in driver-focused design, that might just be the most exciting part.

If the future of internal combustion really can make the planet cleaner while delivering 500 horsepower and 500 miles of range, Mazda might just pull off the impossible—saving the rotary by saving the world.

Source: Mazda