Mazda Is Building An EV Battery Plant In Japan

Mazda Motor Corporation is having the time of their lives as its internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle sales are experiencing overall record sales, driven by high demand in North America. However, the world doesn’t revolve around that market, and electric vehicles (EVs) continue to grow, albeit in varying paces, across different markets.

Recognizing this inevitable EV shift, Mazda has announced that it will build a new module pack plant for automotive cylindrical lithium-ion battery cells in Iwakuni City, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan. The new plant will produce modules and packs of automotive cylindrical lithium-ion battery cells procured from Panasonic Energy Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Energy).

Under the 2030 Management Policy, Mazda is steadily preparing for electrification technologies based on the multi-solution strategy that provides a variety of technological options to meet customer needs and regulatory changes, to contribute to solving the social issue of curbing global warming.

In the field of batteries, one of the key components of electrified vehicles, the company signed an agreement with Panasonic Energy in May 2023 to procure cylindrical lithium-ion batteries for automotive use, and in September 2024, the plan to expand battery production and technology development through this collaboration was certified by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) as a “plan to ensure a stable supply of storage batteries.

Based on the plan, Mazda will provide its customers with unique EVs that offer a high level of design, convenience, and driving range by using the battery module packs produced at the new plant. The plant will also contribute to local employment and economic development.

The completed battery packs will be installed in Mazda’s first battery EV that uses a dedicated EV platform and will be manufactured at Mazda’s vehicle plant in Japan. As revealed earlier in 2024, Mazda’s first EV that will ride on its dedicated EV platform will be ready by 2027.

At the moment, Mazda’s EV lineup consists of the MX-30, which is also available as a plug-in hybrid with a rotary range extender called the R-EV. This version was previewed at the 2024 Philippine International Motor Show. The MX-30 EV initially went on sale in the United States, but with an EPA-estimated range of 92 miles, the MX-30 was short-lived due to its poor range.

Mazda also has the EZ-6, a midsize electric sedan that is a result of its joint venture with Changan. It uses the same platform as the Deepal L07 and is available in both pure electric and plug-in hybrid range extender variants. The full EV version has either a 56.1 kWh or 68.8 kWh lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) battery that’s good for 480 or 600 km of range, respectively, while its rear-wheel drive (RWD) electric motor produces 255 horsepower and 320 Nm of torque.

On the other hand, the plug-in hybrid range extender version is likewise RWD, but its 215-horsepower and 320 Nm electric motor is augmented by a 1.5-liter gasoline engine that only charges the 18.9 kWh or 28.4 kWh LFP battery that’s good for 130 km and 200 km of pure electric range, respectively.