Featured Mazda MX-30 R-EV has been Revealed

Any price information and coming to the US?

 

Comparatively thinking - seems it's like a heavier taller version of a Chevy Volt, w/a smaller powered ICE. It'll be interesting to see its fuel economy.

 

MX-30 an Improved BMW i3-REx | PriusChat

 

Thanks for the update. Yeah, if sub 30mpg on gas only is true, that is totally a deal breaker for most who are looking for the efficiency of the EV but assurance of the gas engine backup. Besides, not being built in NA, it won't qualify for any tax credit in the US. I can't imagine many selling.

 

One drove past me this morning on dealer plates. Pretty nondescript-looking car

Rotary engines aren't known for fuel economy, so I'm not sure that people are gonna be impressed with 28mpg when they run out of battery.

It'll be a niche car for people who drove an RX-8 fifteen years ago, and who know you need to budget for an engine rebuild every now and then

 

The EPA only shows a fairly short range, ~100 mi, inefficient 35 kWh/100 mi BEV unit.

Bob Wilson

 

Yeah, not for me I'm afraid. I read the real-world range is even lower at ~85 miles

 

Depends on how well the 53 EV miles work for a person. Would have been better if they kept that range closer to the BEV. Maybe being a REx would help. As is, it is a subpar Volt with only the body shape going for it in this market.

The main issue is that Mazda is a small company. That limits their resources. They had to go to Toyota for their hybrids after Ford. The MX-30 has the markings of just being a compliance car.

One of the CARB requirements for a REx is that the ICE range can't exceed the Ev range. It's why the i3 REx had a smaller effective tank in the US than Europe. Could the manufacturer list a lower ICE fuel economy to get a longer ICE range in owners' hands?

 

along with the south koreans, mazda might have the best looking fleet on the road

 

My thoughts exactly...low emissions to offset other models in the range. From a European perspective Mazda's not a brand I'd look at and think "Hmm yeah, environmentally friendly". Their last rotary was pulled in Europe because emissions were too high

 

When it came out, the SkyActiv-D did meet the emission regulations without extra emission controls, and you do get the SkyActiv-X. The Wankel was always of more limited application. Use as a range extender might have meant its upsides were more important than its downs.

Mazda is small enough that they had lower requirements to meet for California's ZEV program. Now that they have to sell a plug in, what they brought to market is only slightly better than a 10 year old Leaf, and it isn't sold outside California. It's cheaper than the competition, but then that $5000 more is getting you more than double the range in what is most likely a larger vehicle.

The low fuel economy of the range extender may have be acceptable if added to the BEV, but Mazda reduced the EV range to that of PHEVs with better hybrid efficiency.

 

A former BMW i3 REx owner, I suspect the Wankel specific fuel consumption and emissions issues are solvable.

Thanks to the battery buffering, the exhaust and port tuning only needs to run at the most optimal power range. The battery could provide enough energy to pre-warm the exhaust treatment catalytic converter and small, Wankel block.

Whether their engineers are up to the task remains to be seen.

Bob Wilson