Mazda will be unveiling a new version of its rotary-engined MX-30 EV at the auto show in Brussels on January 13, 2023. Most importantly, the car will become an efficient range-extender hybrid known as the R-EV.
In the R-EV, the Wankel engine will run at
a constant speed to charge up the battery and extend the electric range. Given
how dismal the range of the existing MX-30 EV is, it is probably the single
best news for all fans of the model. As it stands right now, the car makes do
with a small 35.5-kWh battery pack only sufficient for 161 km of
EPA-rated range.
The current MX-30 EV uses a single
electric motor with 144 PS and 271 Nm of torque.
It needs 9.6 seconds to go from standstill to 97 km/h. It remains
unknown how large the rotary engine volume will be or whether Mazda will ramp
up the output of the electric motor to compensate for the added weight.
