Mazda MX-30 electric car production begins: Will it get the rotary range extender?

Mazda has officially started production for the electric MX-30. For the time being, the small electric car hasn’t been announced for the U.S. yet. Mazda hasn’t declared otherwise, though, so we still have our hopes up. The first MX-30s are rolling off the line in Hiroshima, Japan. Europe will be one of the first places these MX-30s end up at. The car starts at £30,495 in the UK and €33,990 in Germany. Converted to U.S. dollars, that’s hovering near $38,000. Certainly expensive, but the price would surely be different here, plus we’d be eligible for the full $7,500 tax credit.

Those lucky European customers will be met with an electric car that likes to do things a little differently than others. The modest 35.5 kWh battery pack is good for just 124 miles on Europe’s optimistic WLTP testing cycle. It would surely achieve a much lower number in the EPA test. Mazda has made it front-wheel drive, placing a single motor on the front axle that’s good for 143 horsepower.

We expect to see the first ones hit the streets in Europe this fall, but there’s one thing that makes us hold out hope for an American MX-30: the rotary range extender. Mazda said as much in its 100-year celebration letter.

“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.”

Assuming Mazda goes through with a rotary range extender, we could see this car coming to the American market. That would up the range considerably and make it appear like a much more viable option to many customers, even if they might not need the added range on a daily basis. 

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