—It caught our attention that Mazda announced its intentions to be a premium brand. How does the New Mazda CX-5 fit into these plans?
There are two big elements in this release of the New Mazda CX-5 who are going that way. One is the technological look: we have a vehicle with two major technological innovations. The first is the Skyactive engine: We have a 2.0, 2.5 naturally aspirated, 2.5 turbo, and a 2.2 turbo diesel. We have a traction control system which is Mazda MyDrive, which is new. The second is the arrival of new engines and vehicles that are more aligned with the environment: we are going to have the arrival of hybrid, plug-in hybrid and electric vehicles, which shows that Mazda wants to enter the segment of premium vehicles with new technologies. And also new releases. Today they are still secret projects, but Mazda It’s clearly going to make new bets in the SUV segment with high-displacement, high-torque, high-power engines. And that we will discover in the coming months.
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—Is there a date for the plans to enter the market for hybrids and electrics?
In any case, 2023 in Peru will be a very important year in the introduction of these technologies.
—Many companies have started to introduce electric vehicles. Does joining this wave a little late represent a challenge?
We, more than having arrived late, are very concerned regarding going one step further. In other words, first we work to make sure we have the technologies to be able to recycle these batteries. We are concerned regarding the environment, regarding the quality of the recycling of the materials that we introduce into the markets. So, we already have the recycling process ready for all these batteries that are going to arrive next year and what we are going to do is follow the philosophy of Mazda. We respect the competition, it activates us and allows us to have products of better quality and better technology, but we are precisely going to be available with hybrid and electric engines with more than four different models, that is, we are going to arrive “at one”, as he usually says here, with all those technologies. As for models, two of them already exist, one new in plug-in hybrid and one 100% new in 100% electric technology.
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—Regarding the New Mazda CX-5, what is the objective in a market that is trying to reactivate and that also still has logistical problems? The arrival of auto parts is still difficult and, consequently, the price of parts has risen.
We are used -the last 10 years- to experience many crises. We have had the subprime crisis, we have also had sometimes political crises in our countries. We are now experiencing a supply crisis, but I would say that this is precisely what allows Mazda concentrate on developing new models, improving your supply chain, and perhaps also avoiding lock-in to one or two suppliers. The number of vendors that can supply those bits and pieces are expanding. Clearly, the markets are more demanding. There is more competition. The cost of living is growing, but Mazdaaware of this, has been working in the last year and a half to have clear proposals for the Peruvian market and that New Mazda CX-5 it is a first link.
—How much impact does this have on the final price to the consumer?
If today we see, for example, the exchange rate, we have two views: here we have a 100% Japanese vehicle that comes in yen. In that sense, it is a product that will maintain a price level very similar to what we have today in Peru. I don’t see any major impact. Where we do see an increase in prices is in freight. There is a significant cost that might be between 5% and 6% of the value of the vehicle. Of course, we clearly have to face it, but the competition also has to face it. I would say that it is a situation that puts us all equally. But, there is a slight increase in the prices of these vehicles.
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—So, when does Mazda plan to be a premium brand?
We are in a transition from the sixth generation models to the seventh generation. I would dare to say that 2030 should be a year in which more than 80% of the product line of Mazda be premium products. And how are premium products identified? First, with engines We are going to have access to 6-cylinder in-line engines, we are going to have access to plug-in hybrid engines with a 48-volt battery and we are going to have 100% electric vehicles. And that will be the start of a Mazda competing with German premium brands, but we also want to consolidate Mazda as the best Japanese brand in terms of quality, design and technology. Those are the goals we have on the 2028-2030 horizon.
—How to encourage the use of electric or hybrid cars in a country like Peru, where there are not many power stations yet? Are you going to take actions in this sense to encourage the purchase?
Today, when we look at usage figures in slightly more mature markets such as the United States, Europe and China, we realize that more than 80% of vehicles are charged on the home network. So what we are going to encourage are home network charging systems and, probably, talk with the places where these vehicles travel. More than having charging stations as we see, for example, in the United States with Tesla, we think that shopping centers can be a good option as a place to recharge. Remember that with high-capacity electric chargers you can charge up to 80% of the battery in 30 or 35 minutes. So there is a mix between a home network or a work network. We might have a recharging network in our offices, in our homes and I believe that, indeed, some economic agents such as shopping centers or clinics – places where one stays for more than 40 minutes – might also be a good option for chargers high capacity.
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—How much does Peru represent within the entire market that you manage?
Mazda as Derco it is present in three markets: Peru, Chile and Bolivia. Peru currently represents 30% of the placement of Mazda in this countries.
