Mazda Gave Its EV a Very Odd Feature

An EV designed to make roads safer for pedestrians has accidentally given drivers a rather unusual way to communicate with everyone around them. The Chinese-built Mazda CX-6e uses an external speaker to warn cyclists and pedestrians, but the system goes far beyond a few preset safety messages.

Drivers can select built-in phrases, type their own messages using an onboard keyboard and have them played outside the car. The system can even broadcast the driver’s voice directly, effectively turning the CX-6e into a mobile PA system. Was that really necessary?

There are legitimate uses. Telling a distracted pedestrian to look up or signaling another driver to go ahead could be more effective than honking or exchanging confused hand gestures. The problem appeared when Australian journalists tested how much freedom the system actually gives its users. Apparently, there are very few limits.

That means the same speaker can deliver insults, custom profanity or recordings aimed at other road users. Funny? Absolutely. Sensible? Probably not. Would you trust every driver with a public-address system when plenty of people already misuse their horns?

The CX-6e is also sold in Australia, and an over-the-air update could eventually restrict what the speaker is allowed to say. Until then, Mazda may have created one of the strangest unintended features in a modern EV.