Mazda President Masahiro Moro discusses the sleek Vision X-Coupe shortly after that carmaker revealed it at the 2025 Japan Mobility Show.Mark Richardson/The Globe and Mail
Mazda revealed a pair of concept cars Wednesday at the Japan Mobility Show that its president says “will shape a brighter future of humanity and the Earth.” That’s yet to be proven, but at least they’ll look good trying.
The manufacturer is developing hybrid rotary engines that can run on fuel extracted from microalgae, while also harnessing and recycling the carbon dioxide produced in their emissions. These engines will power the sleek Vision X-Coupe and the friendly Vision X-Compact, says President Masahiro Moro.
“After years of studying fuels and CO2 exhaust, Mazda now envisions a future where the more kilometres you drive, the more you help reduce CO2,” said Moro.
Microalgae store oils in their cells as they grow, while also absorbing carbon dioxide, he said, and those oils can be extracted and refined into carbon-neutral fuel. The process has a long way to go, however – so far, an 11,000-litre culture tank took two weeks to produce one litre of fuel, though the remaining microalgae is rich in protein and can be used for food or fertilizer.
The Vision X-Coupe is revealed at the 2025 Japan Mobility Show on Wednesday, Oct. 29.Mark Richardson/The Globe and Mail
At the same time, the manufacturer’s engineers have developed a technology called Mazda Mobile Carbon Capture, which attaches directly to the engine to pull carbon dioxide directly from the exhaust, store it and recycle it. “The captured CO2 can then be recycled to boost crop growth or to manufacture high-performance carbon chemicals,” said Moro. Mazda aims to prove the technology in a Japanese super endurance race next month.
The audience of media and executives nodded approvingly at this news, but was more interested in the smooth design of the Vision X-Coupe. The concept car is to be powered by a two-rotor rotary turbo engine, paired as a hybrid system with a motor and battery. Moro said it can produce more than 500 horsepower with an all-electric range of 160 kilometres, on top of its gasoline range of more than 600 kilometres.
Designer Kaisei Takahashi discusses the Vision X-Compact shortly after Mazda revealed it at the 2025Japan Mobility Show.Mark Richardson/The Globe and Mail
It was the funky little Vision X-Compact that sounded more life-altering, however. Its designer, Kaisei Takahashi, explained that it will include a “human body sensing model” that will use empathic artificial intelligence to keep the driver company.
“Think about those drives when you are alone, and the ride feels too quiet, too flat, predictable,” said Takahashi. “But you are not alone. There is a warm presence, not intrusive, just aware. It might say ‘Hey, remember that café you mentioned last week? There is a fun backroad that will get us there. Way more interesting than this highway.’ So you make the turn and hear, ‘Oooo – nice merge!’ Then gently, ‘blind spot, left side.’ And your little adventure continues.
“It learns. It anticipates. It understands you. This is not science fiction. This is where Mazda is heading. In the future, a Mazda vehicle will be a companion that makes every journey richer.”
Personally, I can think of nothing worse, but maybe that’s just me. It really doesn’t matter what I think – this future is coming and it’s no longer just an idea. It’s very real, whether we like it or not.
The Vision X-Compact will use a 'human body sensing model' that will use AI to keep the driver company.Mark Richardson/The Globe and Mail