Mazda Makes An Electric Vehicle So Tasty You Can Eat It
Credit to Author: Tina Casey| Date: Sat, 26 Oct 2019 22:05:38 +0000
Published on October 26th, 2019 | by Tina Casey
October 26th, 2019 by Tina Casey
Mazda fans have been waiting a long time for an electric vehicle from their favorite auto maker, and the company is determined to fulfill every dream with the new Mazda MX-30 EV unveiled last week at the 2019 Tokyo Motor Show. To be clear, eating an entire car might take a while, but it is doable. After all, the interior is filled with bio-based treats and somebody once ate a bicycle, right?
Mazda unveils new MX-30 electric vehicle at Tokyo Motor Show (photo cropped, enhanced — via Mazda).
“Living True To Yourself” is the message wrapped up in four wheels of zero emissions splendor that is the Mazda MX-30 electric vehicle. So, before we take a look at that all important electric drivetrain, let’s see what that the company means by living true to yourself.
Here’s Mazda MX-30 program manager Tomiko Takeuchi with the official rundown on the company’s “Human Modern” design approach:
“Living true to yourself requires the strength of spirit to be true to your feelings and continually question other people’s “common sense” and values. That is what will empower you to face up to yourself, take that first positive step and continue on your chosen path.”
Okay, so that’s a good start.
There’s more (much more), but basically Mazda is pitching a design aesthetic that promotes a heightened sense of situational awareness. Kind of like mindfulness, but without being overused the way that mindfulness is used everywhere by everybody and now it’s just really annoying.
Come to think of it, the Mazda approach which could help drivers be more aware of, and more considerate of, pedestrians and bicyclists.
Are we reading too much into this? Maybe! But the new Mazda electric vehicle does feature a “simple yet functional console” and an interior space “designed to help you focus your mind and feelings” that helps drivers “feel focused and positive” while discovering “their natural selves through the process of living with the car.”
If the end result is focusing on the safety of pedestrians and bicyclists, so much the better.
That’s a big difference from auto makers (you know who you are!) that push their safety features so vigorously that drivers get the impression they can cruise down the road like an Abrams tank, oblivious to their surroundings, crushing anything in their path without suffering the consequences. Oh, the humanity!
So much for the soul of the electric vehicle. The heart is the electric drive, for which Mazda adapted its “Skyactiv-Vehicle Architecture” for gasmobiles into something it calls e–Skyactiv:
“To enhance the consistency of omnidirectional vehicle response to control inputs and realize seamless transitions between G forces, electric G-Vectoring Control Plus (e-GVC Plus) is also equipped. Natural feedback crafted to match human characteristics is afforded by precise torque control and sound that lets the driver know exactly what the car is doing.”
Got all that? That’s about all we know so far. CleanTechnica is angling for a test drive whenever the car is available in the US, but in the meantime perhaps we can pull some insights from our friends in the electric vehicle field.
Car and Driver is enthusiastic about the sporty styling, and it notes that the “Mazda is mum on any details on the MX-30’s powertrain, saying only that it’s an EV with a 35.5-kWh lithium-ion battery pack.”
What about Jalopnik? It found the experience of sitting inside the car somewhat confusing. Perhaps the writer forgot to get into the spiritual thing.
Road and Track fell in love with the “sports a coupe-esque design, with a dramatically sloped C-pillar” and teased the idea that Mazda could add a rotary engine range extender at some point.
So, nobody really knows at this point. Stay tuned as CleanTechnica reaches out to Mazda for updates on its US introduction.
Meanwhile, circling back around to that thing about eating your car, the Mazda MX-30 electric vehicle does make good use of natural and recycled materials in the interior.
We’re still a long way from driving on dandelions, but other auto manufacturers are also cottoning up to the long term sustainability benefits of integrating bio-based materials and recycled materials into various auto parts, so stay tuned for more on that.
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Photo (cropped, enhanced): New MX-30 electric vehicle via Mazda.
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Tina Casey specializes in military and corporate sustainability, advanced technology, emerging materials, biofuels, and water and wastewater issues. Tina’s articles are reposted frequently on Reuters, Scientific American, and many other sites. Views expressed are her own. Follow her on Twitter @TinaMCasey and Google+.