Electric Mazda MX-5 seen for first time in patent drawings
The legendary Mazda MX-5 roadster isn’t immune to all-electric power as latest patent drawings reveal sleek battery layout
The current Mazda MX-5 has soldiered on for over 10 years, almost becoming the antithesis of increasingly heavy electric sports car by retaining its simple naturally aspirated four-cylinder engine. However, this could change soon, because Auto Express has found patents of a Mazda MX-5 with electric power.
In what is clearly an MX-5-sized vehicle, the patents show the batteries located in the transmission tunnel section. This will be important to retain the traditional size, shape and weight distribution of the MX-5. Beyond the transmission tunnel, Mazda has also added batteries in front of the passenger seat and behind both seats - the latter is a feature that’ll we’ll see on the new Porsche Cayman EV.
Mazda states in the patent filing that “since the battery is installed in the tunnel portion, the gravity center of the vehicle can be close to the center of the vehicle, thereby reducing the yaw moment of inertia more.”
Rather than chase straight-line performance with a dual-motor, all-wheel-drive set-up, there’s only a single electric motor. It’s positioned just behind the seats in the middle of the car, powering the rear wheels – just as we’d expect of an MX-5. According to Mazda, the motor can also be placed behind either seat, which we’d assume is to accommodate left and right-hand drive markets.
Mazda mentions the patent filings are based on a car with a roof, which “may be a fixed type, a detachable type or a foldable type”, suggesting the MX-5’s convertible form will remain possibly alongside a foldable hard-top version like the current MX-5 RF.
Mazda’s patent filings simply titled “electric automobile” don’t confirm the MX-5 will be electric-only, however. The replacement for the current ND-generation MX-5 will arrive later this decade as the NE model, with Mazda’s new Skytactiv-Z engine. The new motor will be first seen on the new CX-5 due in 2027 and will have the potential for plug-in hybrid or mild-hybrid assistance. Given how important low weight is to the MX-5’s driving dynamics, a mild-hybrid set-up would seem the most likely to help promote the lifespan of the internal combustion-engined roadster.
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