Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1130632
M2 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 16 JUNE 2019 MOTORING MAZDA is finally taking a step into the electric car space.With tough EU emissions regulations to meet, the car company is set to release new vehicles aimed at minimising their CO2 out- put over the coming years. CEO Akira Marumoto told Auto- motive News Europe in an interview that the company will unveil an EV in 2020, as well as plug-in hybrid models in 2021 and 2022. Meeting tougher emissions targets When asked how Mazda will reach tougher emissions targets in Europe in 2020 and 2021, Marumoto revealed: "...the first Mazda battery-electric vehicle will hit the market next year. Finally, we will introduce plug-in hy- brid models from 2021 or 2022. So we will eventually achieve the target, al- though we will have some difficulties in 2020." Mazda has had a bit of a turbulent record with emissions goals. In 2016, the company claimed it would sell an electric vehicle by 2019. A partnership was later announced with Toyota to develop EVs. Queries about Mazda's progress on EVs since then, however, has largely been met with radio silence. Though Marumoto did say the Toy- ota partnership is still on the cards, he specified that Mazda's new EV would not come as a result of the collabora- tion. The new model will be constructed on "a Mazda architecture in 2020," he said in the Automotive News Europe interview. Scarce details Very few details were revealed about the upcoming cars, as the conversa- tion was mainly taken up by emis- sions talk. All that is known is that the car com- pany's hand may have been slightly forced by the EU's tightening of its emissions targets. With Mazda's CO2 output being well above where it needs to be by 2021; if it doesn't lower emissions drastically, it will, either have to pool with anoth- er manufacturer to lower emissions (like Tesla or Fiat) or pay heavy fines when the time comes. The manufacturer will hope to reach targets with its new electric vehicle range starting next year. Mazda to unveil an all-electric vehicle in 2020 Facing tough sanctions due to EU emissions regulations, Mazda is revealing their first EV AS Famalco Group's iGO brand continues to celebrate its journey in establishing it- self as a leading ride hailing platform and service in Malta, for the month of June they will be offering to the public a fantastic opportunity to win €250 in cash for simply using the iGO app and booking a ride through the iGO App dur- ing the month of June. The iGO application is de- veloped with user accessibil- ity in mind, from its easy to navigate design to its user- friendly features. The app is available for us- ers of both Android and Ap- ple, as they simply need to go to their online store and download it onto their devic- es. Once customer personal details are filled in, the appli- cation allows users to benefit from offers, select rides, set destination time, and sort out the payment method, all from the click of a button. While the iGO brand con- tinues to be streamlined and easily usable to everyone, ve- hicles of the brand have been fitted with the latest technol- ogy ensuring customer rides are above satisfying. Each iGO vehicle is built for cus- tomer satisfaction, boasting features such as free WiFi and being piloted by trained and professional drivers, all ready to go the extra mile. As the iGO brand continues to grow, there will be a continuing number of exciting offers avail- able for customers. To stay up to date and ben- efit, simply like iGO's Face- book Page facebook.com/ iGO.mt/. For more informa- tion about iGO or any other unit of Famalco Group, please call on 2339 2339 or visit www.Famalco.net. First time lucky with iGO