It’s the words that the little voice in the back of the mind of Mazda enthusiasts keeps saying: rotary engine. While most of said enthusiasts are eagerly awaiting the always-rumored return of the RX-8 (not that it’s happening anytime soon) and it’s rotary engine, the first vehicle that could possibly get the engine isn’t a new RX-8. It’s the CX-30.
Tucked into a press release designed for European media outlets celebrating the rotary engine, are two lines that stand out:
“Later, the company developed a prototype Mazda2 EV with a small single-rotor engine used as a range extender. A similar system could find its way onto the Mazda MX-30, a brand new battery electric crossover SUV arriving at dealerships this year.”
In the production SUV, it’s likely that the rotary engine would serve in an alternate power plant capacity. This is similar to the way BMW has used the i3 model with the available range extender, which pairs a 0.647-liter two-cylinder engine with the car’s battery to achieve a range of 200 miles.
The big question is, will this version of the car come to America? Mazda has committed to adding plug-in electric models to its lineup. However, the expediency with which they arrive in the U.S. marketplace may be slowed by the recent move of the Trump https://yourtestdriver.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/2023-Ford-Escape-Plug-In-Hybrid_Vapor-Blue_Ford-Escape-ST-Line-Elite_Rapid-Red_01.webpistration to roll back an Obama-era law that pushes automakers to produce more fuel efficient vehicles. Regulations are more stringent in Europe so it makes sense that Mazda would first turn its attention there.
