Mazda to offer new 2-based electric vehicle for lease

The new electric vehicle will be based on the current 2, also known as the Demio in Japan, and is set to be available for lease to Japanese government bodies and fleet customers by early 2012. Mazda has not revealed details about the vehicle, but says that the car will have a range of 200km.

Mazda is relatively new to the electric car market, and is slowly delving in by developing small cars suitable for short commutes in Japanese cities. The lease program will enable Mazda to gather data about electric drive technologies as well as consumer usage patterns and requirements for electric cars.

The knowledge gained from the program will also help Mazda improve the base technologies of its other products, as outlined in its Building Block Strategy. Systems such as regenerative braking will find its way to normal models in Mazda's range in the near future, together with Mazda's SKYACTIV efficiency technologies.

Mazda adds though, that it is still focused on the internal combustion engine for the considerable future, but advanced eco-friendly technologies developed through programs such as these will be increasingly present in future models of Mazda's vehicles.