Mazda MX-30 R-EV: What Is This Future Car?
This page is translated from the original post "Mazda MX-30 R-EV : c’est quoi cette future voiture ?" in French.
- 25/11/2022 15:00
A rare automotive system could arrive as early as 2023 in France on the Mazda MX-30 to enable better range.
Late compared to most automakers, but around the average for Japanese companies known to be cautious in this area, Mazda updated its plan this week. It is preparing a three-phase electrification, with a slow transition towards electric cars.
As a result, while some brands aim for 100% of their sales by 2030 or earlier, Mazda sticks to a range between 25 and 40%. In the first phase, 2022-2024, no new electric vehicle is planned, but a new version of the Mazda MX-30.
A Mazda MX-30 lacking electric range
The only electric vehicle in the lineup, the Mazda MX-30, started its career in 2020. A compact SUV, it is priced at a sedan level, today starting from 36,750 €. However, its range is limited: 200 kilometers, versus over 300 km for a comparable model. The 2022 update only improved fast charging capabilities.
The solution? No large battery, because this vehicle was not designed for that, and the brand does not want to drastically increase the price. Mazda had already confirmed at the beginning of 2020 that it was developing a range extender, similar to the defunct BMW i3 or Opel Ampera.
A rotary engine to recharge the batteries
This Mazda MX-30 R-EV will therefore include a small gasoline engine as part of the electric system, serving as a generator to recharge the batteries. This engine will not directly drive the wheels, unlike on a Nissan Qashqai e-Power. And, uniquely for Mazda, it will be a rotary engine, a first since the end of the RX-8 coupe in 2015 (which could be reborn as an electric?). Consequently, this MX-30 must be classified as a hybrid vehicle, and it will produce CO2 emissions and other gases or fine particles.
According to our information, the Mazda MX-30 R-EV will be released in France this spring 2023. But it is still too early to estimate the price, which will probably be above €40,000.
Read also: Renault Megane E-Tech electric: what are its true consumption and range?
We also suggestthese articles:
Also read
