Mazda's gorgeous concept can run on fuel made from microalgae
What's the story
Mazda has unveiled two futuristic concept cars, the Vision X-Coupe and Vision X-Compact, at the ongoing Japan Mobility Show 2025. The designs provide a glimpse into the brand's potential future styling and technology. Mazda President and CEO Masahiro Moro emphasized their vision of a future where driving more kilometers contributes to reducing CO2 emissions.
Eco-friendly innovation
The Vision X-Coupe
The Vision X-Coupe is longer than the Mazda 6 but has four doors. It features a plug-in hybrid system with a two-rotor rotary engine that can run on carbon-neutral fuel derived from microalgae. The engine produces 503hp and can travel up to 159km on electric power alone, which can be extended to nearly 805km with the combustion engine.
Fuel innovation
Mazda's microalgae carbon-neutral fuel
Mazda has developed a process to extract oil from microalgae, which can be refined into carbon-neutral fuel. The company claims to have successfully produced over a liter of such fuel from an 11,000-liter culture tank in two weeks. This byproduct can also be used for food products or organic fertilizer. Additionally, Mazda is working on "Mazda Mobile Carbon Capture," a tech that will pull CO2 directly from exhaust emissions.
Design details
Vision X-Coupe boasts a stunning silver exterior
The Vision X-Coupe boasts a stunning silver exterior, an evolution of Mazda's Kodo design language. The front end is aggressive with LEDs extending from the lower grille to the headlights. The rear features a stylized window and body-integrated taillights. Inside, it sports white seats, green cabin elements, brown accents, three round gages, and a large screen integrated into the dash.
Tech integration
The Vision X-Compact
The second concept, the Mazda Vision X-Compact, is a sporty version of the Mazda 2. It comes with "Human Body Sensing Model" and empathic AI technology to deepen the bond between people and cars. The car can even respond to your emotions and suggest alternate routes or warn about hidden vehicles in blind spots.
Design simplicity
Vision X-Compact is a compact five-door hatchback
The Mazda Vision X-Compact is a compact five-door hatchback with short overhangs and a wide stance. It sports the same front-end styling as its coupe counterpart, but instead of an infotainment display, it has a phone mount next to the gage cluster. The interior features a simple three-spoke, flat-bottom steering wheel with only two buttons and sits in front of a large round speedometer.