Starting in 2013, Mazda will become the second manufacturer, after Nissan, to make use of Toyota’s Hybrid Synergy Drive technology. In March, Mazda signed a licensing agreement with the hybrid behemoth and hopes that with a supply of hardware – presumably including transmissions, power electronics and battery packs – spilling in from Toyota, it will be able to launch its own hybrid in three year’s time. However, for Mazda, gas-electrics are reportedly only one part of the advanced vehicle equation.
According to a report from Bloomberg, Mazda’s chief executive officer, Takashi Yamanouchi, told media contacts in Tokyo that the automaker’s plans, beyond 2013, could include the debut of a plug-in hybrid and an electric car. Mazda has not officially announced that it will produce either model and will apparently assess the market before making a final decision. However, it seems likely that Mazda, in an attempt to keep pace with the upcoming eco-car launches from competing automakers such as Toyota, Honda and Nissan, will decide to give at least one of the two options a green light. Get it? Green light? Oh, we’re hilarious around here aren’t we?
[Source: Bloomberg]