{"id":40423,"date":"2023-01-15T09:05:55","date_gmt":"2023-01-15T14:05:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/autosector.com\/?p=40423"},"modified":"2023-01-15T09:05:55","modified_gmt":"2023-01-15T14:05:55","slug":"1138444_mazda-mx-30-r-ev-is-a-plug-in-puzzle-americans-might-not-get","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/?p=40423","title":{"rendered":"Mazda MX-30 R-EV is a plug-in puzzle Americans might not get"},"content":{"rendered":"

Mazda on Friday revealed its rotary range-extended version of the MX-30 electric vehicle, called the Mazda MX-30 e-Skyactiv R-EV.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The MX-30 R-EV would offer a far greater range than the MX-30 EV\u2019s 100 EPA miles. But as Mazda USA suggested earlier in the week, this model that was previously confirmed for the U.S. may have been delayed or canceled entirely<\/a>.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The R-EV is almost indistinguishable from the MX-30 EV<\/a> except for some trim differences. That means you get the same rather eccentric package\u2014a compact crossover with a somewhat more rakish roofline and two smaller rear-hinged rear doors. Bottom line: the MX-30 has essentially the same overall dimensions as the CX-30 crossover, but it doesn\u2019t result in nearly as much usable passenger space.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"2023<\/p>\n

2023 Mazda MX-30 EV<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Instead of the 35.5-kwh battery pack, the R-EV has a 17.8-kwh battery, enabling a 53-mile range by more generous European WLTC combined standards. Based on how other plug-in hybrids pencil in versus that European standard, that might mean a plug-in range of roughly 40 miles by U.S. EPA standards, although much of it depends on the test cycles themselves.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Wankel rotary engine range-extender is a 0.83-liter unit\u2014with a single rotor, as opposed to dual-rotor units in previous RX-8 and RX-7 sports cars\u2014making just 73 hp and 86 lb-ft of torque. Its part-time job (and only job) is only to drive a generator. That pair fits under the hood with the electric motor, which makes 168 hp and 192 lb-ft of torque here\u2014about 25 more hp but 18 fewer lb-ft than the MX-30 EV. Its official 0-62 mph time is 9.1 seconds<\/p>\n

\n
\"Mazda<\/p>\n

Mazda MX-30 R-EV<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\"Mazda<\/p>\n

Mazda MX-30 R-EV<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\"Mazda<\/p>\n

Mazda MX-30 R-EV<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Mazda boasts that using a rotary rather than a reciprocating (piston) engine allows more compact packaging, and it saves weight. The engine\u2019s side housing is made of aluminum rather than iron, Mazda says, which it claims cut more than 33 pounds. Overall, the R-EV weighs 3,912 pounds\u2014257 pounds more than the EV\u2019s curb weight.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Fuel efficiency has been atrocious in previous rotary designs, and tailpipe emissions have been challenging, which makes this engine design a puzzling choice from the outset; but Mazda says that direct fuel injection makes it more efficient. It\u2019s also added exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) to help boost efficiency at low loads, and further evolved the design of the seals, which are a rotary-engine weak point.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Mazda<\/p>\n

Mazda MX-30 R-EV<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Mazda says that the MX-30 delivers the same driving experience whether it\u2019s running entirely off the battery pack or with the engine revving away. That\u2019s different than the only other U.S.-market range-extended EV in recent years, the BMW i3 REx<\/a>, which could sometimes be caught flat-footed and short on power for long highway grades, when its little two-cylinder range-extender under the cargo floor couldn\u2019t keep up.<\/p>\n

The Chevrolet Volt<\/a> is sometimes called a range-extended electric vehicle, but Green Car Reports doesn\u2019t consider it to be that, as the full-size gasoline engine drives the wheels at light cruising speeds.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Mazda<\/p>\n

Mazda MX-30 R-EV<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Mazda says that one of the reasons behind this configuration is to extend driving range for long trips, and despite that and a decent roundup of the car\u2019s specs it said nothing about the MX-30 R-EV\u2019s efficiency in range-extender mode\u2014or its highway range.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The 13.2-gallon gas tank is nothing like the little sub-2-gallon tank used in the BMW i3 REx, so considering a full charge and a full tank, the RE-V will likely offer all the range of a gasoline vehicle. And really, what\u2019s to stop drivers from doing just that?<\/p>\n

\"Mazda<\/p>\n

Mazda MX-30 R-EV<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

The answer might potentially be that, like the i3 REx, it\u2019s just a more pleasant car to drive with the engine off. The little rotary needs to be revving at 4,700 rpm to be making peak power. The strident sound of a rotary engine when it\u2019s revved is enchanting, but any owner of RX-8 or RX-7 sports cars can attest that rotaries tend not to be so endearing on long road trips.\u00a0<\/p>\n

There also appears to be a gray area in which the engine will start up even with a charge\u2014a serious issue for anyone expecting a true EV driving experience in cities.<\/p>\n

Mazda says that in EV mode, the R-EV will exclusively use electric drive \u201cuntil the gauges show the battery is completely drained.\u201d It also notes, even in EV mode: \u201cAdditionally, in situations such as if the driver needs to accelerate suddenly and purposefully depresses the accelerator pedal significantly beyond a certain point (equivalent to the kickdown switch function on a standard automatic transmission vehicle), the rotary engine generator will activate and generate the energy for the required output.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Mazda<\/p>\n

Mazda MX-30 R-EV<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

In Normal mode, Mazda says that the rotary engine will fire up more often, based on how far you press the accelerator. Separately, there\u2019s also a Charge mode that can save away charge so owners can drive quietly in EV mode or later use the car to power devices. Owners can set how much they\u2019d like to charge up to, in 10% increments.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Using the MX-30 R-EV\u2019s 7.2-kw onboard charger\u2014more than the 6.6-kw unit that comes with U.S. MX-30 EVs\u2014can go from a 20% to 80% charge in about 90 minutes, according to Mazda. It\u2019s unclear if that 20% charge is the bottom end for electric-only operation. It\u2019s also one of the only such vehicles to have DC fast charging\u2014which, in the R-EV\u2019s case, runs up to 36 kw and allows a 20% to 80% charge in about 25 minutes.<\/p>\n

\"Mazda<\/p>\n

Mazda MX-30 R-EV<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

The R-EV supports V2L and has a cargo-area outlet offering 1500 watts.<\/p>\n

It will be rolled out first in an Edition R version that offers a design inspired by the rotary engine, Mazda says\u2014with Rouge Metallic roof accents and black for the body and trim.<\/p>\n

That includes unique wheels, plus several nods to the unique trochoid shape of the engine rotor\u2019s movement, including on a logo that adds an orange accent \u201cto convey the power required to generate energy,\u201d Mazda says.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Mazda's<\/p>\n

Mazda’s rotary engine returns in 2023 as range extender for electric MX-30 crossover<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Mazda hasn\u2019t yet confirmed the price for Europe, but it suggests that it doesn\u2019t cost much, if any, more than the MX-30 EV. \u201cLarger batteries are more expensive, so using one would result in a more expensive vehicle,\u201d it states in provided product information. \u201cAdditionally, a life cycle assessment (LCA) perspective demands optimizing the battery capacity for the vehicle.\u201d<\/p>\n

Now that it\u2019s outlined what it is and how the specs pencil out, it\u2019s not only a head-scratcher Americans might not understand as they shop for vehicles, but a vehicle that Americans, literally, might not get.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Mazda on Friday revealed its rotary range-extended version of the MX-30 electric vehicle, called the Mazda MX-30 e-Skyactiv R-EV.\u00a0 The MX-30 R-EV would offer a far greater range than the MX-30 EV\u2019s 100 EPA miles. But as Mazda USA suggested earlier in the week, this model that was previously confirmed for the U.S. may have […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":40424,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-40423","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-e-cars"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40423","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=40423"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40423\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/40424"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=40423"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=40423"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=40423"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}