The first dedicated electric vehicle from Mazda is going to be built with a new production concept. Mazda is planning to get its Hofu H2 assembly plant ready to be more flexible. The company is hoping that flexible production, not a move elsewhere, will help keep its pricing competitive against tariffs when EVs join the CX-5 and its other popular models.
With the new production line up and running, Mazda hopes to be able to cut production lead times down from weeks to just days. That can amount to serious savings that could offset tariffs on its best-selling models in the US.
Mazda’s First Dedicated EVs Coming In Two Years
Mazda has had the MX-30 EV, as well as the EZ-6 and EZ-60 models, but they aren’t what’s being discussed here. The former was also offered as a hybrid, and the latter wear Mazda badges but come from a joint venture in China. This is about models expected to arrive in a couple of years.
Automotive News spoke with Mazda officials in Japan, who spoke about the new process. Instead of building an entirely new factory or line to create its EVs, as some competitors have done, Mazda is going to work to stay nimble and flexible.
“A dedicated EV line isn’t necessary because our lines can already accommodate mixed production,” Managing Executive Officer for production Taketo Hironaka told AN. “This plant is at the cutting edge of Mazda’s manufacturing.”
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Mazda doesn’t have an EV on sale in the United States right now, but the freshly revealed EZ-60 has me excited about the Japanese marque’s potential in this space. Sleek and low-slung on the outside, it makes a great first impression, and I expect a high-end interior like most other Mazdas. But would you buy one over the top-selling Model Y, if given the opportunity?
Building plug-in hybrids, gas models, and EVs, on different platforms, will help Mazda keep its factory utilization as high as possible. It will be able to tweak production much more quickly to make sure it is building what customers want at the time.
Assembly Line Changes Made Easy
It will also be able to physically extend the line more quickly, a feature that sets it apart. Adding steps to the assembly line can be done in a week, not months. New robotic systems will enable Mazda to install large components, such as engines, wherever needed, rather than at a fixed location on the main line. That adds flexibility for changes in wheelbase, different power variants, and it even lets Mazda do its new rear-drive and front-drive models on the same assembly line.
“Making different models suddenly at our U.S. plant or increasing the production volume there significantly in a rush would not be a good idea, because supply chains are broad,” Hironaka said. This plan helps it manage waste in fixed costs and capital investments.
The H2 plant is currently home to the large RWD crossovers, the CX-70 and CX-90 sold in the US, and the CX-60 and CX-80 sold elsewhere. It will soon be home to Mazda’s electrics. The company estimates its new production plan has cut the number of processes by 40 percent on top of adding flexibility.
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Mazda is following Tesla’s lead to bring its EVs to the fore worldwide.
Building EVs and ICE on the same line, even front and rear drive, is nothing new. GM has done it with multiple plants, including the Hamtramck Assembly plant, which built vehicles as varied as the Chevrolet Bolt and Cadillac CT6 at the same time. But this goes beyond that, offering much greater flexibility. Now, Mazda just needs to show and build those electric vehicles and pass the savings onto the end user.
Source: Automotive News
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