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An electrified Mazda MX-5 is possible—Report

Mazda’s engineers aren’t too satisfied with current battery tech, though an all-electric MX-5 is still plausible.

Earl Lee
Mazda MX-5 2024

We all love the Mazda MX-5, and it is probably one of the most fun-to-drive, affordable, and stylish roadsters out in the market today. Given the model’s ethos of light and agile, however, the current electric movement seems to run contrary to that belief—a belief that Mazda seems to be clinging on to faithfully. 

The Japanese brand isn’t going to give up on the MX-5 just yet, and it seems like the brand is going to unveil something at the 2023 Tokyo Mobility show, and the brand has also made it clear that the focus of its new concept will be on the MX-5. 

Mazda is no stranger to electrification, though the brand isn’t the most advanced in the market. With conservative approaches in the market which include mild-hybrid systems in models like the Mazda3, Mazda CX-60, and Mazda CX-90, you could say that the brand is behind the rest of the industry. However, this is for good reason as it’s not as simple to align its Jinba Ittai ethos with electrification due to the weight of current battery technology. 

Related: Mazda to unveil Miata-like concept at the 2023 Japan Mobility Show
2024 Mazda MX-5

With that being said, it’s totally understandable why Mazda has been holding back on full electrification of some of its most popular models. Putting in an electric powertrain will add weight to a vehicle, and to keep things consistent, there is a world of compromise that must be navigated through first. 

In an interview with TopGear, Kato Masue was asked whether an electric MX-5 would be possible or even in the pipeline. After he was asked, Matsue went on to say “that’s a possibility. The MX-5 main markets are the United States, Europe, and Japan. Japan is a bit behind, but the market demand is changing towards electrification. So we need to think about that.” 

“By 2030, all our products will have some electrification. So that means the sports car is not outside of that scope. But I can’t say exactly when we’ll introduce a battery on the MX-5 at the moment.” 

Matsue adds “we don’t want to have a very heavy MX-5. So if the MX-5 is 1.5 tonnes of peak weight, that is not the MX-5.” 

With this, Mazda isn’t discounting the MX-5 from the lineup just because electrification is the major shift that we’re dealing with now. The Japanese brand is trying to prolong the life of its Roadster for as long as possible, though the problem stems from the fact that current battery tech is still a little too heavy for the MX-5 for Mazda to get into it fully. 

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