With its twin battery configurations the Japanese OEM’s second electrical mannequin balances vary nervousness in opposition to charging comfort
Mazda has began rolling out left-hand drive variants of the brand new 6e in European markets. Bought because the EZ-6 in China, the mannequin is obtainable solely as an EV in Europe. The second electrical mannequin from the Japanese model was launched in Spain’s Granada area, a number one space for wind and solar energy.
An evolution of the producer’s combustion-powered mid-sized sedan, it’s solely 41mm taller than its predecessor. “It doesn’t seem like a tall automobile, though we’ve got the batteries beneath the ground,” stated Christian Schultze, deputy normal supervisor and director, analysis and operations at Mazda Motor Europe. “Additionally, this offers us sure advantages by way of reducing the middle of gravity which helps the automobile’s dynamic efficiency round corners.”
To cater to several types of purchaser, Mazda developed the 6e with two battery choices: a 68.8kWh NMC battery with a spread of 479km; and an 80kWh LFP battery with 552km of vary. The smaller NMC battery can cost at speeds as much as 165kW DC whereas the LFP battery can recharge at as much as 90kW DC. In preferrred situations, 10% to 80% cost is claimed to be achievable in 24 minutes with the NMC battery whereas a comparable recharge would take 47 minutes with the LFP pack.
“One battery has a bit extra vary, and we imagine will probably be primarily chosen by individuals who have their very own charging at house,” stated Schultze. “And the opposite one, which has sooner charging, however not as a lot capability, is for individuals who know they are going to often cost enroute the place charging pace is extra vital than vary.”
In accordance with Schultze, discovering the candy spot between vary and battery dimension meant going again to fundamentals. “When you might have a sure bundle and set area for a sure battery, and also you need to have extra vary, you’ll be able to’t do it with the identical chemistry since you’d want extra space,” he stated. “So, we needed to discover a chemistry that allowed us to make the identical dimension battery with an even bigger capability.”
Till now, Schultze defined that Mazda has maybe been overly conservative when estimating battery longevity however early outcomes from the MX 30 present real-world use is outperforming the producer’s predictions.
“We’ve got MX 30 vehicles which have already achieved 200,000 km with the identical battery. We weren’t certain firstly whether or not this could occur as a result of if in case you have a automobile with a brief vary, 200,000 km means way more recharges.
“Over the previous 10 years, battery chemistry has developed dramatically. While you look to the longer term, there are extra chemistries, for instance sodium-based or different chemistries that may come, positively. It’s at all times a query of uncooked materials availability, preparation of the battery, lifetime, efficiency figures, value and so on.”
Digital and decarbonization
As a result of comparative simplicity of electrical powertrains versus ICE, Schultze famous that the 6e’s growth centered round digital interplay. The UI has been introduced extra in keeping with programs present in Chinese language rivals bought within the European market. UX has additionally been expanded to incorporate gesture management in addition to voice recognition.
“With a contemporary automobile just like the Mazda 6e, the brand new problem for us is the general digital management of all programs, the connection to the skin world and the info operation inside the automobile,” stated Schultze. “That’s a brand new world for us the place we should enhance, study and progress as a result of an increasing number of we may have an interplay between every automobile and its total surroundings.
Schultze highlights clever programs, visitors management, and circulation management as examples. “Clients need to do new issues in vehicles,” he says. “Not solely do they need to hearken to the radio however possibly the passengers need to watch streaming providers or purchase tickets to a museum you’re on the best way to. We’ve got to make these connections to all these completely different outdoors stakeholders.” Schultze famous that whereas a wide range of in-car experiences are conceivable, they need to not distract from the driving expertise.
The launch of the Mazda 6e is a part of the corporate’s wider decarbonization technique which focuses on figuring out suitable low or zero emission automobiles for particular markets. Reasonably than providing the identical product vary in all markets, the corporate plans to be extra selective, particularly for EVs the place infrastructure in some areas makes the widespread viability of this know-how tougher.
In Mazda’s three-pronged strategy to lowering emissions, one space encompasses electrification know-how, taking a look at absolutely electrical, plug-in hybrid and gentle hybrid automobiles. The second growth goal seems to be at different fuels together with e-fuels, and lastly the corporate is attempting to reduce the environmental influence of its manufacturing processes by using renewable vitality.
“It’s not sufficient to only have a look at the tailpipe emissions,” stated Schultze, “We have to strategy this from a well-to-wheel strategy the place we think about all of the CO2 emissions created from the manufacturing of the automobile, the preparation of the gas, the era of electrical energy and the drive and use of the automobile.”
Serving to palms
Regulation and current infrastructure is anticipated to affect which markets Mazda selects for sure powertrains. This consists of regional variations in end-of-life automobile processing laws and recycling targets. Since automobiles bought into the European market shall be recycled in Europe, Mazda is selecting supplies primarily based on compatibility with the continent’s current recycling strategies.
Whereas OEMs with localized manufacturing can work in the direction of closed-loop recycling, Schultze argued that bringing recycled supplies from Europe again to Japan to supply new automobiles could be antithetical. “We’re utilizing recycled supplies however at this time limit not from end-of-life automobiles however from packaging supplies, issues like PET bottles,” Schultze stated.
Contemplating the recyclability and long-term environmental influence of EVs, Schultze added, “We at the moment have points with uncommon earths, so we want to consider magnets sooner or later. The European Fee is considering how we are able to recuperate the magnets from end-of-life EVs.” Schultze steered the trade might must discover synthesizing magnets or creating magnet-free automobiles by the event of recent applied sciences.
Looking forward to its future lineup, the producer is optimizing its growth technique by its current partnership with Changan. “We’re at the moment growing a brand new BEV platform primarily based on Mazda know-how, the expertise we’ve got gained with our MX-30 and suggestions from clients,” stated Schultze. “We are going to additional develop our personal proprietary know-how and introduce this new BEV round 2028.
In parallel with this BEV, Mazda is growing two additional EVs as a part of its international technique to work along with companions on the event of recent EVs. “We’re leveraging our alliance with our Chinese language accomplice with whom we’ve got labored collectively for greater than 20 years on R&D and manufacturing,” stated Schultze. “Previously, we engineered and developed all our merchandise in home, however the pace of growth has elevated dramatically, and we perceive that we have to use partnerships with exterior corporations. Not solely to hurry up however to additionally achieve applied sciences and capabilities we don’t have in-house.”
Discussing how the producer’s market-specific technique shall be actioned, Schultze concluded, “We’re a mid-sized firm, so which means we can not supply vehicles in each market in another way. Standardization is likely one of the issues we should make use of.”
Andasol Photo voltaic Energy Station
The 6e launch included a visit to the Andasol Photo voltaic Energy Station within the Granada area. Not like conventional solar energy vegetation that use photovoltaic panels, Andasol makes use of concentrated solar energy (CSP) know-how.
Parabolic mirrors focus daylight by an element of 82 onto tubes with a diameter of 70mm. Contained in the tubes, a thermal oil is heated from 290°C to 390°C alongside the loop. The new oil passes by a warmth exchanger the place it creates steam to drive a turbine related to a generator to supply electrical energy. Water cooling is used to scale back the temperature of the oil earlier than it goes around the loop once more.
One of many benefits of this technique is that the recent oil additionally heats a molten salt combination which contains 60% sodium nitrate (NaNO3) and 40% potassium nitrate (KNO3). A ‘chilly’ salt tank shops the combination at round 290°C whereas the ‘sizzling’ tank holds it at as much as 390°C. Extra vitality produced through the day is saved right here till the night time or cloudy durations.
In the course of the day, salt from the chilly tank is pumped into the recent tank and heated with the oil. At night time, the recent tank is pumped into the chilly one to warmth the oil. When the storage tank is full, it has sufficient vitality to permit the plant to function for round 7.5 hours in the dead of night. In the course of the summer time months, this implies the ability can produce inexperienced electrical energy across the clock, considerably rising its output in comparison with photovoltaic options.
To maximise mild seize, mirror rows are aligned North-South, in order that they rotate from East to West monitoring the solar. Inbuilt three phases, the complete website has been producing vitality since 2011. Andasol 3, the newest part of the mission options 210,000 parabolic mirrors paired with a warmth storage capability of 29,000 tonnes of salt. Annual working hours are estimated to be round 3700 at peak load. Collectively, Andasol 1, 2 and three produce round 150MW of inexperienced electrical energy yearly.
Spanning round 600 hectares, the placement was chosen for its excessive altitude at 1100m above sea stage, sometimes sunny climate and good entry to water from the Sierra Nevada mountain vary. As a result of variety of wind farms within the native space, the positioning can also be close to excessive voltage energy strains. To take care of the efficacy of the mirrors they’re cleaned each night time to take away mud and particles from the floor.
Spain main the cost
“We’re right here as a result of Spain can be a showcase of the sustainability transition,” Schultze defined. “Spain is a pacesetter within the deployment of inexperienced electrical energy, and they’re additionally very profitable in deploying electrified mobility.”
Because of authorities incentives on the acquisition worth of recent EVs and subsidies on house and public charging, Mazda expects the 6e to be nicely suited to the area. As the corporate assesses the place to supply particular merchandise, native inexperienced vitality manufacturing is amongst its priorities. Schultze stated, “If in case you have electrical energy that’s made by coal and gasoline, then an EV is not any greener than some other automobile.”
In 2024, sustainable vitality accounted for 56% of the nation’s electrical energy manufacturing utilizing vitality era strategies equivalent to wind, photo voltaic and hydropower. Within the first half of 2025, spurred on by the MOVES III incentive for as much as €7,000 off a brand new EV, greater than 46,000 EVs have been registered in Spain, a year-on-year improve of 84%.
“The general public charging community is progressing steadily with greater than 40,000 cost factors. Even high-speed chargers are actually coming to extra distant areas. It exhibits very clearly that clear vitality and clear mobility can go collectively if it’s deliberate nicely, the place individuals stay and the place individuals drive,” Schultze added.
