Petrol engines still in demand - Mazda

While almost every car manufacturer is spending whatever it can in developing electric cars, Mazda is saying, again, that the internal combustion engine still has a long road ahead of it.

Mazda in Europe - where liberal governments view electric cars in the same light as the Messiah - has done a survey among 11 000 people in 11 countries, and found that more than 50% of car buyers prefer internal combustion over electrification.

31% of people surveyed even said that should electric vehicles cost and perform exactly the same as petrol engines, they will still prefer the latter.

Mazda conducted the research as part of its Zoom-Zoom 2030 programme, under which the development of its new sparkless SkyActiv petrol engine and safety and driver-focused tech falls.

The Japanese car maker is currently investing a lot of money into ways to make internal combustion engines more environmentally friendly and efficient.

It is also one of very few manufacturers who hasn’t yet gone the downsizing route and still prefers to fit slightly bigger, non-turbo engines in its smaller cars.

Mazda Motor Europe’s president and CEO, Jeff Guyton, says: ‘The research findings are fascinating. The whole basis of our long-running Drive Together campaign is to celebrate the sheer joy of driving, and it appears that European drivers see a long road ahead for the internal combustion engine – we are working hard to make that road an even better experience for drivers everywhere.’