On this R-EV version, the MX-30 gains a rotary engine that serves as a range extender. The battery, on the other hand, is smaller.
Mazda came to the Brussels Motor Show with a world premiere: the MX-30 R-EV. In the words of the Japanese firm, it is a “new kind of plug-in hybrid”. With this engine, the manufacturer hopes to expand the customer base of the MX-30, its first electric vehicle, whose career is clearly penalized by a meager autonomy: 200 km according to the WLTP mixed cycle. Admittedly, this covers a very large majority of daily trips, but this value is too low for buyers of a compact vehicle.
By becoming a plug-in hybrid, the MX-30 must therefore gain in versatility. But Mazda is true to itself, and did not want to turn its model into a classic plug-in. In R-EV, the MX-30 remains first and foremost an electric vehicle. Only the 125 kW or 170 hp electric motor moves the vehicle forward. With a surprise: the battery capacity melts. It goes from 35.5 to 17.8 kWh. With a full charge, the combined WLTP range is 85 km!
But this model thus receives a range extender. There is a unique rotary engine. It is thus the great return of a technical element dear to Mazda, which made the good times of its sports cars, until the RX-8, stopped ten years ago. Here, we have a block of 830 cm3, single rotor with direct injection system. With 74 hp, it is more compact than an alternative engine of equal power. Mazda indicates that these dimensions allowed it to position it coaxially and “integrate it with the high-power generator and the electric motor”.
Everything is therefore under the same front cover, without compromising on the habitability. The smaller battery made it possible to accommodate a 50 liter petrol tank. And it is thanks to this aspect that the MX-30 R-EV will greatly gain in versatility, especially since 50 liters is a good value which allows Mazda to announce 600 km of autonomy with all energies combined.
The model can therefore do most of the daily journeys in electric, and allow its owners to leave with more peace of mind thanks to gasoline, which can be refueled in a few minutes! Three driving modes are on the menu: EV, Normal (the rotary motor intervenes if the amount of energy demanded is greater than that which the battery can supply), or Recharge, with a rotary motor which rotates to maintain the charge level of drums.
This can be charged via the socket, with single-phase 7.4 kW or three-phase 11 kW alternating current, or direct current at a maximum power of 36 kW. The vehicle offers V2L reverse charging, which makes it possible to operate electrical devices up to 1500 W using a socket in the trunk.
To celebrate the return of the rotary engine, this MX-30 is launched with a limited Edition R series. It can be recognized by a two-tone silhouette, with black and red. As on the other R-EVs, there are specific rims. Edition R logos are present on the head restraints and floor mats.
The R-EV will be available in France in 2023.
Read also
Mazda accelerates gently on the electric
On this R-EV version, the MX-30 gains a rotary engine that serves as a range extender. The battery, on the other hand, is smaller.
Mazda came to the Brussels Motor Show with a world premiere: the MX-30 R-EV. In the words of the Japanese firm, it is a “new kind of plug-in hybrid”. With this engine, the manufacturer hopes to expand the customer base of the MX-30, its first electric vehicle, whose career is clearly penalized by a meager autonomy: 200 km according to the WLTP mixed cycle. Admittedly, this covers a very large majority of daily trips, but this value is too low for buyers of a compact vehicle.
By becoming a plug-in hybrid, the MX-30 must therefore gain in versatility. But Mazda is true to itself, and did not want to turn its model into a classic plug-in. In R-EV, the MX-30 remains first and foremost an electric vehicle. Only the 125 kW or 170 hp electric motor moves the vehicle forward. With a surprise: the battery capacity melts. It goes from 35.5 to 17.8 kWh. With a full charge, the combined WLTP range is 85 km!
But this model thus receives a range extender. There is a unique rotary engine. It is thus the great return of a technical element dear to Mazda, which made the good times of its sports cars, until the RX-8, stopped ten years ago. Here, we have a block of 830 cm3, single rotor with direct injection system. With 74 hp, it is more compact than an alternative engine of equal power. Mazda indicates that these dimensions allowed it to position it coaxially and “integrate it with the high-power generator and the electric motor”.
Everything is therefore under the same front cover, without compromising on the habitability. The smaller battery made it possible to accommodate a 50 liter petrol tank. And it is thanks to this aspect that the MX-30 R-EV will greatly gain in versatility, especially since 50 liters is a good value which allows Mazda to announce 600 km of autonomy with all energies combined.
The model can therefore do most of the daily journeys in electric, and allow its owners to leave with more peace of mind thanks to gasoline, which can be refueled in a few minutes! Three driving modes are on the menu: EV, Normal (the rotary motor intervenes if the amount of energy demanded is greater than that which the battery can supply), or Recharge, with a rotary motor which rotates to maintain the charge level of drums.
This can be charged via the socket, with single-phase 7.4 kW or three-phase 11 kW alternating current, or direct current at a maximum power of 36 kW. The vehicle offers V2L reverse charging, which makes it possible to operate electrical devices up to 1500 W using a socket in the trunk.
To celebrate the return of the rotary engine, this MX-30 is launched with a limited Edition R series. It can be recognized by a two-tone silhouette, with black and red. As on the other R-EVs, there are specific rims. Edition R logos are present on the head restraints and floor mats.
The R-EV will be available in France in 2023.
Read also
Mazda accelerates gently on the electric
