{"id":27189,"date":"2021-04-14T08:47:49","date_gmt":"2021-04-14T12:47:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/?p=27189"},"modified":"2021-04-14T08:47:49","modified_gmt":"2021-04-14T12:47:49","slug":"payne-mazda-mx-30-boasts-full-ev-and-wankel-plug-in-models","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/2021\/04\/payne-mazda-mx-30-boasts-full-ev-and-wankel-plug-in-models","title":{"rendered":"Payne: Mazda MX-30 boasts full-EV and Wankel plug-in models"},"content":{"rendered":"

Performance brand Mazda wants to put its own unique stamp on the electric vehicle market.<\/p>\n

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The zippy automaker introduced the 2023 MX-30 SUV Wednesday, its first battery-powered offering. Following other Asian automakers’\u00a0electrification strategies, the ute is part of a portfolio of electrified\u00a0vehicles that will include\u00a0a hybrid and plug-in hybrid. But Mazda plans to bring signature attributes to the MX-30 with taut handling and a gas-powered rotary engine in the plug-in model.<\/p>\n

The MX-30 will arrive with Mazda\u2019s sleek but conventional styling, eschewing more radical, grille-less front ends seen on EVs like the Chevy Bolt EUV or Hyundai Kona EV.<\/p>\n

By all outward appearances, MX-30 looks like a gas-powered Mazda. Built on the same platform as the gas-powered CX-30, the MX-30 has an air of familiarity. Though electric engines don\u2019t need big grilles to feed air\u00a0to engine combustion\u00a0chambers, the car retains a grille design between the headlights \u2014 though it’s smaller than the brand’s traditional, full-fascia opening.<\/p>\n

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Body lines are coupe-like,\u00a0and the wheel wells are more squared-off than the hoop-style design of cousin\u00a0CX-30.<\/p>\n

The MX-30 will go head-to-head against other subcompact EVs like the Kona and Nissan Leaf. Unlike these brands, however, Mazda will only offer a short-range, 35.5 kWh lithium ion battery. Mazda will announce range closer\u00a0to the vehicle\u2019s California\u00a0launch this fall (other markets to follow), but expect 150-180 miles\u00a0like its peers.<\/p>\n

Unlike the Leaf and Kona, the MX-30 will not feature a larger, 220-mile-plus range battery. Instead, it will come equipped with a rotary-power plug-in unique to Mazda. Mazda and rotary have been synonymous\u00a0for decades, with rotary-powered (so-called Wankel engine)\u00a0race cars achieving international glory from France\u2019s Le Mans track\u00a0to the high bankings of the the Daytona 24 Hour.<\/p>\n

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The RX-8 sports car was the last Mazda to carry a Wankel engine in its belly, in 2012. The lightweight engine is being resurrected in the plug-in model \u2014 due as a 2023 model \u2014 as Mazda uses electrification to bolster the brand\u2019s performance tech. With it notoriously smooth operation, the Wankel engine will complement the MX-30\u2019s low-place batteries to lower the SUV\u2019s center of gravity for better cornering.<\/p>\n

\u201cMazda is preparing for the fast-changing US market demands by taking a multi-solution approach to electrification,\u201d said Jeff Guyton, president of Mazda North America. \u201cThe battery-powered MX-30 will begin the introduction of additional electrified models, including a series plug-in hybrid with a rotary generator for MX-30, a plug-in hybrid for our new large platform, and a traditional hybrid for our new American-made crossover.\u00a0Mazda fans can expect great driving dynamics and beautiful design across all models.\u201d<\/p>\n

First to arrive is the battery-only MX-30 that will send 144 horsepower and 200 pound-feet\u00a0of torque\u00a0to the front wheels. Mazda claims the 35.5 kWh battery can be charged to 80% in 36 minutes using DC fast-charging stations like those operated by Electrify America.<\/p>\n

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Besides sharing a platform with the gas-powered CX-30, the EV shares its elegant design. A floating console offers a new shifter for the electric drivetrain and a familiar rotary dial controlling the infotainment\u00a0screen high on the dash.<\/p>\n

For the first time, Mazda adds a second, lower, seven-inch touchscreen (think the interior of an Audi)\u00a0that will display climate controls. Following other EVs, the MX-30 can be accessed remotely via a smartphone app to monitor interior temperature and charging. The SUV will also sport trendy green\u00a0details like eco-friendly cork door grips. Cork pays homage to Mazda\u2019s origin more than\u00a0a century ago as a cork maker.<\/p>\n

Safety and electronic details will be disclosed closer to launch, as\u00a0will information about the highly anticipated rotary engine.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe rotary generator will mark the return of our unique rotary powertrain,\u201d said Guyton. \u201cThis technology is being engineered for nearly silent operation and will replenish the battery rather than drive the wheels.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Performance brand Mazda wants to put its own unique stamp on the electric vehicle market. The zippy automaker introduced the 2023 MX-30 SUV Wednesday, its first battery-powered offering. Following other Asian automakers’\u00a0electrification strategies, the ute is part of a portfolio of electrified\u00a0vehicles that will include\u00a0a hybrid and plug-in hybrid. But Mazda plans to bring signature […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27189"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27189"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27189\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":27190,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27189\/revisions\/27190"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27189"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27189"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27189"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}