{"id":27831,"date":"2021-08-26T13:51:24","date_gmt":"2021-08-26T17:51:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/?p=27831"},"modified":"2021-08-26T13:51:24","modified_gmt":"2021-08-26T17:51:24","slug":"mazda-rolls-out-its-first-ev-the-mx-30-to-take-on-compact-rivals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/2021\/08\/mazda-rolls-out-its-first-ev-the-mx-30-to-take-on-compact-rivals","title":{"rendered":"Mazda rolls out its first EV, the MX-30, to take on compact rivals"},"content":{"rendered":"

Mazda’s signature \u201czoom zoom\u201d will get\u00a0a little quieter this fall.<\/p>\n

The Japanese automaker on Tuesday introduced its first electric vehicle, the MX-30, starting\u00a0at $34,645. The 100-mile range SUV enters the compact\u00a0EV market against U.S. competitors like the Chevy Bolt EUV, Volkswagen ID.4, Hyundai Kona EV\u00a0and Nissan Leaf. The entry-level,\u00a0battery-only vehicles are priced about $10,000 higher than comparable gas-powered SUVs \u2014 and about $10k lower than premium, compact SUVs like the Tesla Model Y and Ford Mustang Mach-E.<\/p>\n

The MX-30 also tipped Mazda’s hand on a conservative\u00a0electrification strategy like fellow\u00a0Asian manufacturers Toyota and\u00a0Hyundai. Mazda said it is\u00a0assembling a diverse lineup of EVs, plugins\u00a0and hybrids while other automakers like GM and Volkswagen focus on\u00a0high-risk, EV-only lineups. Mazda even offers access to its gas-powered lineup for range-limited MX-30 owners who want to take long trips.<\/p>\n

Though there is little consumer demand for EVs, automakers are facing government regulations forcing battery-powered drivetrains, corporate sustainability requirements\u00a0and a generation\u00a0of Tesla-coveting Millennial buyers.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n
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The Mazda MX-30 adopts the \u201cMX\u201d moniker of the brand\u2019s gas-powered halo, the MX-5 Miata sports car, as it seeks to lure EV buyers. Like the MX-5, the MX-30\u00a0promises nimble handling with a low center of gravity and tuned suspension.<\/p>\n

\u201cMazda is taking a multi-solution approach to electrification,\u201d said North America president Jeff Guyton. \u201cThe battery-powered MX-30 will begin the introduction of additional electrified models, including a 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. Mazda fans can expect great driving dynamics and beautiful design across all models.\u201d<\/p>\n

Notable on that list is the\u00a0revival of Mazda’s signature, gas-powered rotary engine that will be paired with an\u00a0electric motor. The hybrid approach gives new life to the fuel-thirsty rotary that had struggled under government emissions rules.<\/p>\n

Mazda\u2019s strategy echoes that of Toyota and Ford which have hedged their bets on electrification. Ford is offering both EVs like the Mustang Mach-E and hybrids like the Maverick pickup and Escape ute. Toyota showed an EV concept car this summer and dabbles in hydrogen fuel cells \u2014 but otherwise is betting on gas-electric hybrids.<\/p>\n

GM and Volkswagen, by contrast, have eschewed hybrids and gone all in on battery-power. GM’s luxury Cadillac brand will offer only EVs by 2030, with all of the Detroit automaker’s brands going electric by 2035.<\/p>\n

The $33,995 Chevy Bolt EUV and $35k Mazda MX-30 are similarly priced but\u00a0diverge on specifics.<\/p>\n

The Bolt EUV is a more premium, high-tech experience than other Chevy models \u2014 even optioning Super Cruise, the hands-free driver assist feature offered in premium Cadillac and GMC models.<\/p>\n

Mazda sticks to the brand\u2019s zoom-zoom formula (even piping in a little sound to simulate a gas engine).<\/p>\n

The sleek exterior echoes small, sporty SUVs like the Mazda\u00a0CX-30 and CX-3. The most striking departure is the thin grille compared to traditional, full-fascia openings that feed air\u00a0to the gas engines behind.<\/p>\n

Under the hood, an electric motor powered by a 35.5 kWh lithium-ion battery drives\u00a0the front wheels. The electric drivetrain produces 200 pound-feet of instant torque and 143 horsepower. Those numbers pale in comparison to a comparably-priced\u00a0Mazda CX-30 Turbo which boasts 310 pound-feet of torque and 250 horsepower from its\u00a02.5-liter engine.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n
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The MX-30 will benefit initially from a $7,500 federal EV tax credit that will undercut\u00a0the\u00a0Bolt EUV since GM has exhausted its EV vehicle credits. Michigan Sen. Debbie Stabenow\u00a0has proposed a $13,500 EV tax credit exclusive\u00a0to UAW-made, U.S.-assembled vehicle like the Bolt.<\/p>\n

The Mazda’s size and 100-mile range is optimized for city driving. The Bolt EUV\u2019s can go 250 miles on a charge.<\/p>\n

In a nod to the MX-30\u2019s range limitations, Mazda is offering an innovative \u201cElite Access Loaner Program\u201d so that owners can reserve other, gas-powered\u00a0Mazdas for longer trips up to 10 days. The MX-30 will initially only be offered in California, which currently makes up more than 40% of U.S. EV sales.<\/p>\n

Mazda has partnered with the ChargePoint network to give MX-30 owners a $500 charging credit that can be used for public charging \u2014 or towards purchase of an in-home, 240-volt ChargePoint charger. On the latter, the MX-30 can be fully charged in about three hours.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n
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Approach the MX-30 and \u201cfree-style doors\u201d open like a cabinet. The stylish MX-30 interior appeals to green customers with sustainable cork materials (a nod to Mazda’s origins\u00a0as a cork manufacturer). The familiar, minimalist Mazda design includes a recessed dash\u00a0screen atop a floating console and electronic shifter.<\/p>\n

The MX-30 offers a suite of standard features, and shoppers can upgrade to the $37,655 Premium Plus level that includes goo-gaws like blind-spot assist that will automatically steer you back into your lane if it detects a vehicle filling your blind spot.<\/p>\n

In a nod to concerns about battery durability (Chevy recently recalled Bolts due to fire concerns), the Mazda MX-30 offers an eight-year, 100,000-mile drivetrain warranty.<\/p>\n

Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or Twitter @HenryEPayne.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Mazda’s signature \u201czoom zoom\u201d will get\u00a0a little quieter this fall. The Japanese automaker on Tuesday introduced its first electric vehicle, the MX-30, starting\u00a0at $34,645. The 100-mile range SUV enters the compact\u00a0EV market against U.S. competitors like the Chevy Bolt EUV, Volkswagen ID.4, Hyundai Kona EV\u00a0and Nissan Leaf. The entry-level,\u00a0battery-only vehicles are priced about $10,000 higher […]<\/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\/27831"}],"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=27831"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27831\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":27832,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27831\/revisions\/27832"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27831"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27831"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27831"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}