Japanese car manufacturer Mazda will delay the launch of its first dedicated electric vehicle by two years to 2029, reduce EV investment by nearly half, and pivot to hybrids and China-made electrified products as changing U.S. and European regulatory policies reshape automaker strategies.

But unlike other carmakers that booked billions in charges for switching course, Mazda will navigate the shift with virtually no impairments or write-downs, CEO Masahiro Moro said. Mazda, a latecomer to full-electrics, reversed gear before fully locking in funds.

“Did we have to impair or write off any facilities? We have not,” Moro said May 12, while announcing the Japanese carmaker’s financial results for the fiscal year ended March 31. “We made the decision before we started. For battery EVs, we were always careful.”

Mazda Motor Corp., a self-described “intentional follower” on EVs, trailed global rivals in developing the technology, partly because of its limited R&D budget and partly out of prudence. But being late allows Mazda to sidestep the billions of dollars in wasted investment claimed by such rivals as Honda Motor Co., General Motors, Ford Motor Co., and Stellantis.

Pivot to hybrid, EVs from China

Mazda now plans to launch three new hybrids in the 2028-30 time frame, in addition to the hybrid version of the redesigned CX-5 expected next year. Those hybrids will feature the Mazda-developed setup, with a super-lean Skyactiv-Z four-cylinder engine.

“Regarding internal man-hours, we are shifting resources back from electric vehicle-related work to internal combustion engines and hybrid vehicles,” Moro said. “When paired with the Skyactiv-Z, our in-house hybrid system creates an excellent combination with an engine that offers exceptional performance and efficiency.”

In the meantime, to satisfy EV demand in select markets, Mazda will lean on products developed in China with its local partner, Changan Automobile Co. It will export those China-built EVs to markets such as Europe, Australia, and Southeast Asia as part of its “lean-asset” strategy.

Mazda has already positioned its China operations as a global EV export hub, shipping such nameplates as the CX-6e crossover and the 6e sedan to Europe.

Mazda had planned to introduce its first dedicated EV in 2027. Now, the Hiroshima-based automaker will start production of its first dedicated EV at the earliest in 2029. Moro cited looser fuel economy standards, U.S. tariffs, cutbacks in global EV incentives, and waffling demand.

As a result, Mazda will cut its electrification investment plan to ¥1.2 trillion (€6.5 billion) through 2030, down from an earlier budget of ¥2.0 trillion (€10.8 billion), Moro said. The biggest setback was the number of batteries the company anticipates needing to meet demand.

“We have reviewed our total investment in electrification, and there are no impairment charges on capital assets,” Moro said. “Regarding BEVs, we have been an intentional follower, carefully observing market trends. We determine the timing of decisions before proceeding.”

‘Lean-asset’ strategy

Mazda is pursuing a lean-asset strategy that minimizes investment and maximizes flexibility. The company now plans to have the capacity to produce 200,000 to 250,000 EVs by 2030, Moro said. That will account for about 15% of the company’s global volume.

The new target is dramatically lower than Mazda’s original expectation to derive between 25 and 40% of its global sales from EVs in 2030. EV registrations in the U.S. fell last year for the first time in at least a decade following the repeal of the federal EV tax credit, hitting both legacy brands and EV specialists such as Tesla.

By contrast, hybrids are enjoying robust demand in the U.S., Mazda’s largest and most important market. The hybrid variant accounts for about 35-40% of CX-50 sales.

Mazda had planned to build its in-house EVs at its Hofu assembly plant in western Japan for export to markets such as the U.S. Its plans to build a battery pack plant nearby in Iwakuni are still on track. Moro called it a “key asset” and said it will take time to verify quality and ramp up.

Sales and profits are expected to pick up again

Moro’s assessment came as Mazda reported a 72% tumble in operating profit to ¥51.6 billion (€279 million) in the full fiscal year ended March 31. Despite the decline, the company’s operations stayed in the black after chalking up back-to-back operating losses in the first two quarters of the fiscal year.

Net income fell 69% to ¥35.1 billion (€190 million) from a year earlier. But again, results bounced back from a first-half loss to end the year in positive territory. Operating profit and net income narrowly beat Mazda’s forecasts, though global sales fell short of delivering Mazda’s goal of 1.28 million vehicles.

Global sales declined 6% to 1.22 million vehicles in the 12-month period. Deliveries slipped in every market, with a 6% decline to 582,000 in North America, the company’s top region. Volume in Europe also retreated 6% to 164,000; in China, it declined 4% to 71,000.

Pending a robust CX-5 launch, Mazda expects sales and profits to roar back in the current fiscal year ending March 31, 2027, as the company adjusts operations to absorb tariffs.

Moro sees operating profit tripling to ¥150.0 billion (€811 million) and net income more than doubling to ¥90.0 billion (€486 million). Cost-cutting, friendly foreign exchange rates, and better sales will drive the surge, offsetting the drag from rising raw material and logistics costs.

Mazda expects global wholesale volume to increase 8% to 1.32 million vehicles. The CX-5 will deliver about 350,000 units across both the outgoing and redesigned generations this year.