Not until 2022 though.
In October last year, Mazda confirmed the return of the rotary engine as a range extender for the brand’s first electric model. The MX-30 with a rotary engine should be now in the testing phase before going on sale in Europe in the first half of 2022. The Zoom-Zoom company has just confirmed the rotary power will be making a comeback to the US market as well.
In an interview with The Detroit Bureau, Jeff Guyton, Mazda’s North American operations boss, announced the MX-30 with a rotary range extender is planned for North America. This is the first time we hear a firm confirmation about Mazda’s plans to bring the hybrid to the United States.
Gallery: Mazda MX-30 with mild hybrid engine
“We have launched the MX-30 in Europe, which is our first battery-electric vehicle. And we will be making that product available in the future with a rotary range extender. Any chance of it coming to the US? Yes, it will, though we haven’t talked about the date publicly yet,” Guyton told the publication during the interview.
He didn’t go into more details but our colleagues decided to ask again and make sure things are crystal clear. “And it will have the [rotary engine] range-extender option for the US, like you’re planning in Europe?” “That’s our plan,” Gayton confirmed. “For the U.S. market, the range-extender option would be more appropriate.”
Meanwhile, a new report from Nikkei Asia claims Mazda’s goal with the rotary range extender will be to double the range of the MX-30. Currently, measured by Europe’s WLTP cycle, the brand’s first production EV can travel up to 124 miles (200 kilometers) at a single charge. The engineers will be looking to double that number to approximately 249 miles (400 km).
Sources:
The Detroit Bureau, Nikkei Asia via TopElectricSUV
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