Use of rotary engine in new MX-30 R-EV saves space and adds extra kilometres in range The Mazda MX-30 R-EV's battery is only half the size of the all-electric version. This week’s review car could easily put you off buying a new battery electric vehicle (BEV). It highlights what a sup of petrol in your tank can do to transform a car from being a “pure” petrol to a mixed-power plug-in hybrid.
I am talking about two near-identical cars from Mazda. One uses electric power only, the other adds petrol to the mix of battery and motor. Say hello to the small SUV plug-in/range extender from the Japanese giant, the MX-30 R-EV.
It is closely related to the full-electric Mazda MX-30. The R-EV has a small 830cc rotary engine. And that is enough to drive it hundreds of kilometres further than its EV sibling – thanks to its combination of battery, electric motor and engine.
The full-electric will, if you are mighty lucky and the wind is at your back, get you 150km-175km. Officially it can cover 265km. Not a hope.
The plug-in (technically it should be called a range-extender) can, starting out with a full battery and 50-litre fuel tank, keep going for a claimed 680km. Even at 600km it is way ahead of its stablemate. And both cars cost more or less the same.
I know where I’d be spending my money. The full-electric MX-30 is typical of many small-battery electric vehicles in that it is only good for town and suburban use. Which is fine as far as it goes.
But it doesn’t go too fa.