Mazda plans electrification of all models after 2030, report say

TOKYO -- Mazda Motor plans the electrification of all its vehicles by the early 2030s, a Japanese media organization reported, as more automakers shift strategies to meet tightening global emission regulations.

The automaker will use electric motors in all of its models by that time, Kyodo News reported, without citing sources. A Mazda spokeswoman declined to comment on the report.

Mazda's lineup does not currently include any all-electric vehicles, though it sells one hybrid model, a version of its Mazda3.

The company has said it will introduce electric powertrain technologies including EVs from 2019.

To catch up with other larger automakers including Nissan Motor, which already market electric cars, Mazda has partnered with Toyota Motor to develop technology.

Meanwhile, it has also developed an ultra-efficient gasoline engine, which can be used in hybrids, and plans to incorporate that into its cars from 2019.

Unveiling the new technology last month, Mazda CEO Masamichi Kogai said its gasoline, diesel and electric vehicle technologies would "co-exist" in the future.

The automaker, which also specializes in highly-efficient diesel engines, on Thursday launched a new CX-8 model in Japan, which is currently only available as a diesel model.

Other global automakers are planning to shift away from internal combustion engines towards electrification in the coming years.

Volvo said in July that all of its new models from 2019 would use electric motors, while Jaguar Land Rover said this month that it planned to roll out electrification across its lineup from 2020.