Photo: Craigslist
Somewhere in the westernmost part of the United States of America, a man took to Craiglist to sell his pride and joy. But compared to every other Mazda MX-5 Miata out there (including the Flyin’ Miata V8), this first-generation model is purely electric.
Truth be told, the asking price of $9,950 is nowhere near the market price of a first-generation MX-5 Miata. But converting a two-seat roadster to run on electricity is no small feat, nor a cheap thrill. As you can see in the ad’s photos, the most conspicuous thing about the black-painted sports car comes in the form of two black-painted roll bars nested right behind the headrests.
What do we have under the hood, then? Other than an aftermarket JVC audio system with a detachable face, there’s a box-shaped display tacked on the dashboard, just above the air con. If you pop the hood, this car’s nature becomes crystal clear after you notice the battery arrangement, wires, and a sticker that reads “Danger.” Speaking of which, the owner tells that the total capacity of the LiFePo4 batteries stands at 28.8 kWh. That appears to be enough for a maximum range of 120 miles (193 kilometers) on a charge.
To put that range into perspective, the 2016 Ford Focus Electric struggles to cover 76 miles (122 kilometers) on each charge. I’m not a fan of Captain Obvious, but that’s a woeful range for an EV that prides itself on the Ford Motor Company’s know-how in the automotive biz. If I may refocus back on this story’s subject, the owner also tells that the 75 mph (120 km/h) top speed is good enough for the car “to keep up with highway traffic.”
This conversion also strikes a chord with those who wish that Mazda would step up its eco-friendly game with hybrids, plug-in hybrids, and electric vehicles. And no, I am not referring to the micro-hybrid system known as i-Eloop. But as hardly believable as it sounds, Mazda actually makes a hybrid.
As long as you live in Japan and driving on the left-hand side of the road doesn’t confuse you, the Mazda Axela Hybrid (a.k.a. Mazda3 Hybrid) marries the suck-squeeze-bang-blow of a 2.0-liter gasoline engine with a 27 kW electric motor, a continuously variable transmission, and a battery pack borrowed from the third-generation Toyota Prius. On that note, it should be noted that Mazda and Toyota officially teamed up in 2015 to “make cars better.” One of those cars is the Mazda2 sedan-based 2017 Toyota Yaris iA.
What do we have under the hood, then? Other than an aftermarket JVC audio system with a detachable face, there’s a box-shaped display tacked on the dashboard, just above the air con. If you pop the hood, this car’s nature becomes crystal clear after you notice the battery arrangement, wires, and a sticker that reads “Danger.” Speaking of which, the owner tells that the total capacity of the LiFePo4 batteries stands at 28.8 kWh. That appears to be enough for a maximum range of 120 miles (193 kilometers) on a charge.
To put that range into perspective, the 2016 Ford Focus Electric struggles to cover 76 miles (122 kilometers) on each charge. I’m not a fan of Captain Obvious, but that’s a woeful range for an EV that prides itself on the Ford Motor Company’s know-how in the automotive biz. If I may refocus back on this story’s subject, the owner also tells that the 75 mph (120 km/h) top speed is good enough for the car “to keep up with highway traffic.”
This conversion also strikes a chord with those who wish that Mazda would step up its eco-friendly game with hybrids, plug-in hybrids, and electric vehicles. And no, I am not referring to the micro-hybrid system known as i-Eloop. But as hardly believable as it sounds, Mazda actually makes a hybrid.
As long as you live in Japan and driving on the left-hand side of the road doesn’t confuse you, the Mazda Axela Hybrid (a.k.a. Mazda3 Hybrid) marries the suck-squeeze-bang-blow of a 2.0-liter gasoline engine with a 27 kW electric motor, a continuously variable transmission, and a battery pack borrowed from the third-generation Toyota Prius. On that note, it should be noted that Mazda and Toyota officially teamed up in 2015 to “make cars better.” One of those cars is the Mazda2 sedan-based 2017 Toyota Yaris iA.
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