Mazda’ s electrifying vision

Mazda has hinted at a new electric sports car as part of a new confirmation that it was investing $10.6 billion (£8.9bn) in its electrification plans.

The Japanese carmaker has revealed further information about its plan to take Mazda up to 2030, as well as developing its electrification strategy, which will come as part of three phases.

In the first, taking place between 2022 and 2024, Mazda says it will “enhance technology development for the age of electrification”, and strengthen its US plant and “large product models”, including the new CX-60 and seven-seat CX-80, which is due on sale next year.

In phase two, brought in between 2025 and 2027, Mazda says it will “transition to electrification”, still using internal combustion engines as its base for profit, as well as pushing its battery development and technology.

Then in phase three, Mazda says it will undertake a “full-scale launch of EVS”, though the firm says it expects only between 25 and 40% of its cars sold globally in 2030 to be EVS.

However, the brand stressed its cars’ driving enjoyment, with the last five minutes of the presentation including a video about the importance of “emotion” and the “joy of driving”.

Including various clips of past Mazda sports cars, including the classic Cosmo from the 1960s and various generations of the firm’s MX-5, Mazda then showed a new digital concept car – boasting a design clearly taking cues from the RX-7.

The unnamed “vision study model” features a long bonnet and almost supercar-like styling thanks to upwards-opening scissor doors.

While Mazda revealed no precise information about the car, it strongly hints that a future sports model is in the pipeline, whether it’s as a replacement for the MX-5 or as more of a successor to the well-loved RX-7 and RX-8 – something Mazda has hinted at in previous years.

I recently spent a few days behind the wheel of the Mazda CX-60, a new plug-in hybrid.

It’s capable of covering almost 40 miles on electric power alone and can easily be charged overnight at home.

If it’s anything to go by, Mazda’s electric cars should be something pretty special.

Sports car. IN THE PIPELINE: Mazda could be looking to produce an all-electric