Mazda Buyers Don't Want an Electric Miata—and Mazda Is Listening

Mazda understands the MX-5 Miata and its legendary reputation was built on a simple formula: small dimensions, featherweight agility, accessible pricing, and pure, unfiltered driving joy.

If you ask the people actually buying them, they want Mazda to leave that recipe well enough alone.

Speaking with CarExpert at the Australian launch of the electric CX-6e, Mazda Australia managing director Vinesh Bhindi laid out the reality — buyers aren't knocking down dealership doors asking for an electric roadster.

“We don’t see that many customers coming into the showroom and saying, ‘An electric MX-5? That’d be for me,’” Bhindi admitted. “At this stage, it’s MX-5 owners... who are all saying, ‘When can I get the pure analog version of the next generation?’ That’s probably more the conversation on the showroom floor, as opposed to electrification.”

There's some tension there, however. Mazda CEO Masahiro Moro confirmed earlier this year that the highly anticipated next-generation MX-5 roadster—codenamed NE—is actively being engineered to accept a fully electric powertrain, all while targeting an incredibly light curb weight using innovative, lightweight materials.

Because batteries are heavy, and heavy is the enemy of everything the Miata stands for.

Engineers are reportedly targeting a curb weight of roughly 2,205 pounds (1,000 kilograms) or less for the next-generation roadster. Achieving that while satisfying increasingly strict global emissions standards won't be easy.

Against prevailing industry trends, Mazda is working on a naturally aspirated 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine from its upcoming Skyactiv-Z family. Set to debut in the CX-5 with an in-house hybrid powertrain in 2027, all signs point to this engine eventually finding a home under the Miata's hood. Mazda has been hard at work on innovative hybrid solutions, including one that could form the basis of an electrified roadster. But we're really just in the speculative stage, as there aren't even Miata-looking prototypes roaming around just yet.

If you're worried the current ND-generation Miata is about to ride off into the sunset, you can breathe easy. The next-gen "NE" Miata isn't expected to arrive until 2028 at the earliest.

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