Photo: Mazda / edited
Mere days ago, Mazda North American Operations confirmed the inevitable. After touting the MX-30 EV as being the next big thing in electromobility, the MX-30 EV was canned from the US following the 2023 model year. Not surprisingly in the least, MNAO followed up on its original announcement by confirming the death of the MX-30 e-Skyactiv R-EV as well.
Even though the rotary-powered version made a lot more sense than its battery-powered sibling, the United States isn't prepared for this kind of vehicle. The e-Skyactiv R-EV's death comes courtesy of a public relations representative via the peeps at Autoblog.
The rotary engine's revival, therefore, has been postponed in the United States market. It's no secret Mazda intends to resurrect its RX series of rotary-powered sports cars. Developing a rotary from the ground up for a single application is – from a financial standpoint – a rather uninspired choice. Given the aforementioned, the RX-9 is believed to arrive in 2025 with a rotary double the size of the 830-cc unit in the e-Skyactiv R-EV. Imagine two single rotors conjoined to create a twin rotor with a displacement of 1.7 liters.
There is, however, a problem with the RX-8's heir apparent. Mazda hasn't confirmed whether the suits in Hiroshima gave their stamp of approval or not. Also worthy of note, Mazda has limited research & development money due to being a much smaller automaker than Japanese peers Toyota and Honda.
Whatever the future holds for the Mazda sports cars, fret not because the MX-5 will see another generation. With internal combustion, of course! A turbocharged four-cylinder engine has been ruled out, though, because the Miata was never about power but handling due to low weight and a low center of gravity.
Exclusive to California, the MX-30 EV sold poorly in the first half of 2023. The numbers published by Mazda North American Operations in July 2023 reveal that only 66 units were delivered in the past six months, down 79.1 percent from the 316 delivered during H1 2022.
On the other hand, the all-electric version is doing better in the Old Continent. Regarding its rotary sibling, there's not enough data to call it a commercial failure yet. The e-Skyactiv R-EV in European guise started production back on June 22 at the automaker's Ujina Plant No. 1 in Hiroshima. The marque's first rotary vehicle since the RX-8 promises 85 kilometers (53 miles) of e-range from its 17.8-kWh battery.
By comparison, the MX-30 EV flaunts a 35.5-kWh pack with a WLTP-rated 200 kilometers (124 miles) on the combined test cycle. Over in the United States, the EPA-rated estimate is 100 miles (161 kilometers). No matter what side of the pond you're on, those ratings are too bad compared to similarly priced vehicles.
The rotary engine's revival, therefore, has been postponed in the United States market. It's no secret Mazda intends to resurrect its RX series of rotary-powered sports cars. Developing a rotary from the ground up for a single application is – from a financial standpoint – a rather uninspired choice. Given the aforementioned, the RX-9 is believed to arrive in 2025 with a rotary double the size of the 830-cc unit in the e-Skyactiv R-EV. Imagine two single rotors conjoined to create a twin rotor with a displacement of 1.7 liters.
There is, however, a problem with the RX-8's heir apparent. Mazda hasn't confirmed whether the suits in Hiroshima gave their stamp of approval or not. Also worthy of note, Mazda has limited research & development money due to being a much smaller automaker than Japanese peers Toyota and Honda.
Whatever the future holds for the Mazda sports cars, fret not because the MX-5 will see another generation. With internal combustion, of course! A turbocharged four-cylinder engine has been ruled out, though, because the Miata was never about power but handling due to low weight and a low center of gravity.
Exclusive to California, the MX-30 EV sold poorly in the first half of 2023. The numbers published by Mazda North American Operations in July 2023 reveal that only 66 units were delivered in the past six months, down 79.1 percent from the 316 delivered during H1 2022.
On the other hand, the all-electric version is doing better in the Old Continent. Regarding its rotary sibling, there's not enough data to call it a commercial failure yet. The e-Skyactiv R-EV in European guise started production back on June 22 at the automaker's Ujina Plant No. 1 in Hiroshima. The marque's first rotary vehicle since the RX-8 promises 85 kilometers (53 miles) of e-range from its 17.8-kWh battery.
By comparison, the MX-30 EV flaunts a 35.5-kWh pack with a WLTP-rated 200 kilometers (124 miles) on the combined test cycle. Over in the United States, the EPA-rated estimate is 100 miles (161 kilometers). No matter what side of the pond you're on, those ratings are too bad compared to similarly priced vehicles.
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