The thoughts of the first female development manager of a car that can be "natural" October 20, 15:17

Mazda is celebrating its 100th anniversary.

On the 8th of this month, we started selling new models, which we have positioned as next-generation vehicles.

For the first time in Mazda, a woman was responsible for the development of this car.

As a car enthusiast, he joined the company as an engineer and was involved in car development, while also serving as a test driver for nearly 10 years.

What is the new value car that this woman aimed for?

(Hiroshima Broadcasting Station reporter Takahiro Watanabe)

"Create new value!"

A compact SUV "MX-30" equipped with an independently developed hybrid system.

In January next year, Mazda's first mass-produced electric vehicle model will be released in Japan.

For Mazda, which has been making cars with a focus on engines, it is a car that will respond to the tightening of global environmental regulations.

Tomiko Takeuchi (45), who was in charge of everything from design and development to sales of this next-generation car.

Five years ago, when Mr. Takeuchi became the development manager, the mission entrusted by the company's executives was "Create new value."

The days of facing difficult challenges have begun.

Mr. Takeuchi

"It was the first time for me to develop a product with an unprecedented measuring rod, and it was a very difficult challenge internally. I faced it with the strongest feelings of any car I have ever worked on."

Dual wield engineer

Mr. Takeuchi started to like cars when he was in the fourth year of college.

By switching from bicycles to cars as a means of commuting to school, my range of activities and friendships expanded dramatically.

Mr. Takeuchi

"I am now free to go to places I have never been to before. I wondered what a wonderful vehicle it was, and now I want to work on cars."

For job hunting, I chose the local car maker Mazda without hesitation.

While working on the design of electronic components as an engineer, he applied for a test driver two years after joining the company.

It is a job to evaluate the performance of a car and feed it back to the development by riding not only our own car but also other companies' cars and sometimes operating a sports car at a speed exceeding 200 km / h.

For nearly 10 years, he has been involved in car development as a dual wield engineer and test driver.

In this, Mr. Takeuchi has valued "the driver can feel a sense of security."

Mr. Takeuchi

"It is important to remember that not only people who are good at driving a car but also people who have anxiety. We have been developing with the idea that we can reduce that anxiety and burden as much as possible. "

A new sense of value found around the world

Mr. Takeuchi, who was in charge of developing new models, improved the fuel efficiency of driving support systems and engines based on his experience in order to realize the mission of "creating new value" from the company. I was just focusing on improving the performance of the car.

Mr. Takeuchi:

"I have regarded value as a new technology and function. However, it takes time to develop a car on a yearly basis, and by the time it is released, what I thought was new is gone. I was wondering if there was something else. I was wondering if something was different in what I was pursuing. "

Mr. Takeuchi, who got stuck, tried to get hints by talking to people who are thinking of a new business that will survive in 5 or 10 years.

While traveling not only in Japan but also overseas with the members of the development team, there was an event that changed Mr. Takeuchi's thinking significantly.

It was when I went to meet entrepreneurs and creators in San Francisco, USA.

It's a park full of nature, and I was invited to a relaxing style meal by pulling a sheet on the lawn.

They said:

"We value a space where people can relax naturally at home and at work. That's why new business tips are born. It's time to refresh yourself when driving in the space of a car."

Mr. Takeuchi said that he felt that it was the value he was pursuing.

Mr. Takeuchi

"I valued being able to be in a natural state. I felt that I found another value as a car that I couldn't measure with such things as being able to move fast or having a large space."

Mr. Takeuchi decided to make the concept of the car "natural" over two years.

Mazda's roots, cork

How can we express "natural body"?

Trial and error continued to see if we could use naturally derived materials that give a feeling of warmth and softness to the interior, unlike iron and plastic.

Under such circumstances, a young designer suggested a cork made from the skin of a tree.

In fact, Mazda started with the manufacture of cork.

Cork is a material that can be said to be the origin of Mazda, and I thought it would be a car that symbolizes the 100th anniversary of its founding.

However, the brittle and fragile cork has never been used in car interiors.

A cork made by crushing the bark of a tree into granules and pressing it with an adhesive.

If you make only large grains to leave the texture of wood, gaps will be created and it will become brittle.

On the other hand, if you press only small grains for durability, you will get a rough texture like sand grains.

As a result of repeating trial production hundreds of times, by blending grains of different sizes, the cork is finished with sufficient durability as a car interior while leaving the feel.

The finished cork is used for the door grip and the central tray so that you can feel the feel of natural materials.

In addition, a double door, which is rare in SUVs, is used.

By removing the pillars between the driver's seat and the back seat, we were able to create a space that makes it easy to get on and off, reducing the burden of getting on and off from children to adults.

The strength to maintain safety, which was an issue, was overcome by reinforcing the parts on the door side.

We have created a car that expresses the "natural body" that we have been aiming for.

Mr. Takeuchi

"I think we have created a car that can offer new encounters that we have never met before. I hope that people in the car will feel the new value and the challenge of new Mazda for the next 100 years. I'm glad"

"Forgoing my child's departure"

At the time of release, Mr. Takeuchi expressed that he felt like a mother who forgot his child's departure.

While global sales are declining due to the spread of the new coronavirus infection, automobiles are attracting attention as a means of transportation in private spaces that prevent the so-called three-cs.

To what extent will users accept cars that aim to be "natural" in such an era?

I would like to continue to cover Mazda's challenges for a new era.

Reporter of Hiroshima Broadcasting Station

Takahiro Watanabe

After working at Fukushima Broadcasting Station and Tottori Broadcasting Station, he was in charge of economics at Hiroshima Station.