Mazda’s first electric car, the MX-30 comes with impressive specifications like freestyle door design and e-Skyactiv technology for better driving dynamics. The car, however, comes with a comparatively lower 35.5kWh battery capacity and Mazda says it was intentional.

The company told Automotive News that the Mazda MX-30’s battery pack was  “responsibly” sized. Mazda claims that this move was to match the overall CO2 emissions of a diesel-powered Mazda 3.

According to Christian Schultze – director, and deputy general manager at Mazda Europe’s R&D center, the total CO2 emissions of Mazda MX-30 even after replacing the battery pack that would happen after 160,000 km of usage is comparable with Mazda 3.

If the company had opted for a 95-kWh battery pack, Schultze claims it would have resulted in substantially higher CO2 emissions right from the beginning. The emissions will jump further once this high capacity battery needs to be replaced, according to Mazda.

It is worth noting that the CO2 emissions data are taken from European averages from 2016. Take a look at the life-cycle assessment chart below.

Mazda’s point of view seems to be a bit hindered with outdated estimates here. It remains to be seen if people would opt for electric vehicles with lower battery capacity like Mazda offers in an industry filled with competitive EVs offering more range and battery capacity in the future.

Judging by the current trends, it is highly unlikely for other electric car makers to lower the battery capacities of their cars. In fact, automakers are striving to push the limits of battery capacity to provide longer range to users.

So, do you agree with Mazda’s claims? Share your thoughts with us in the comments.