MAZDA MX-30
AutoVolt Magazine|Issue 32
Mazda reckons there’s more to selling EVs than offering long-range and straight line speed – but will potential customers agree?
Alex Grant
MAZDA MX-30

From race-winning rotary engines to its early adoption of weight reduction and right-sized powertrains for mainstream models, Mazda has a history of doing its own thing and it’s not rushing into electrification. By 2030 it believes most of its global production will still have a combustion engine and, despite increasing hybridization, the cleanest possible cars will result from ongoing improvements to the base technology. In the meantime, it’s challenging some industry norms with its first EV.

The MX-30 stands out even at face value. It’s slightly longer than a traditional hatchback, blending the sculpted afterburner rear lights and reverse-hinged doors of a coupe with the ride height and rugged body cladding of a compact SUV. In Japan, it’s launching as a 156hp petrol ‘mild hybrid’, while Europeans will see it first as a full EV, also due to get a petrol range extender in around 18 months. Specifications haven’t been confirmed yet, but that E-REV will get the company’s first rotary engine since production of the RX-8 wound down in 2012. Interesting indeed.

Mazda’s wider aim is to minimise the use of components requiring carbon-intensive production, so it’s developing electrification solutions to suit different usage patterns based on what the tech can offer today. So instead of cramming in as much battery capacity as possible, the MX-30 was engineered with a balance of cost, lifecycle CO2 emissions, and customer requirements in mind. The 35.5kWh battery pack was sized to suit a role as the second car in a household and offers a range of 124 miles, but it means pricing is in line with smaller EVs and it weighs less than the Mini Cooper SE.

This story is from the Issue 32 edition of AutoVolt Magazine.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the Issue 32 edition of AutoVolt Magazine.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM AUTOVOLT MAGAZINEView All
BMW Prices Up All-Electric i4 Saloon And iX SUV
AutoVolt Magazine

BMW Prices Up All-Electric i4 Saloon And iX SUV

DUE for UK launch in November 2021, BMW has released pricing details for the new all electric i4.

time-read
1 min  |
Issue 33
Volvo Trucks announces new family of heavy electric HGVs
AutoVolt Magazine

Volvo Trucks announces new family of heavy electric HGVs

VOLVO Trucks will boost its electric truck range in 2022, with the arrival of three more zero emission HGV models. Joining the FE and FL Electric trucks which are aimed at urban routes and use, the new FH, FM and FMX Electrics will cater for the heavier road transport sector.

time-read
1 min  |
Issue 33
VOLKSWAGEN GOLF GTE
AutoVolt Magazine

VOLKSWAGEN GOLF GTE

Can a hybrid hot hatch really deliver the best of both worlds? Alex Grant finds out.

time-read
3 mins  |
Issue 33
REACH FOR THE SKIES
AutoVolt Magazine

REACH FOR THE SKIES

Electric flying racing cars have literally taken off, thanks to pioneering efforts from the Airspeeder team.

time-read
4 mins  |
Issue 33
POLESTAR 2
AutoVolt Magazine

POLESTAR 2

With motorsport in its DNA, has Polestar cracked the electric driver’s car?

time-read
5 mins  |
Issue 33
HYUNDAI IONIQ 5
AutoVolt Magazine

HYUNDAI IONIQ 5

The retro-inspired first instalment of Hyundai’s new-generation EV line-up has substance worthy of its head-turning styling.

time-read
5 mins  |
Issue 33
Kia EV6
AutoVolt Magazine

Kia EV6

Hot on the heels of the Hyundai IONIQ 5, sister car the EV6 heralds a fresh new design direction for Kia, as well as the first of eleven electric cars (including seven dedicated) to launch globally by 2026.

time-read
2 mins  |
Issue 33
BEAUTY... and the BEAST
AutoVolt Magazine

BEAUTY... and the BEAST

With five rounds, nine teams and no fossil fuels; the first season of Extreme E is a no-holds barred proving ground for next-generation electric technology, and the result of some competing sustainability requirements.

time-read
9 mins  |
Issue 33
Audi prices Q4 e-tron
AutoVolt Magazine

Audi prices Q4 e-tron

THE new Audi Q4 e-tron all electric SUV is now on sale on the UK, with prices starting at £40,750 OTR for the standard model and £42,250 OTR for the more swoopy, coupélike Sportback model.

time-read
1 min  |
Issue 33
2021 JAGUAR E-TYPE ELECTROGENIC
AutoVolt Magazine

2021 JAGUAR E-TYPE ELECTROGENIC

The Jaguar E-Type, dubbed “the most beautiful car ever made” by Enzo Ferrari needs little introduction to classic car fans the world over. Its design is so iconic that the E-Type is frequently credited as blurring the lines between definitions of art, sculpture and vehicular transportation.

time-read
2 mins  |
Issue 33