Photo: Mazda
Mazda says it conceived the MX-30 to have a battery pack that did not compromise the vehicle’s dynamics. As brilliant as it may be in that regard, the fact is that the electric crossover was designed to have a range extender. The car’s presentation in California proves that. Without the extra range the generator should provide, Mazda estimates its official EPA numbers to be 100 miles. Its official price tag is $33,470.
Even with the $7,500 federal tax credit, the MX-30 will look expensive in the Golden State. Include the $1,175 destination fee, and it goes to $34,645. Exclude the tax credit, and the car will end up costing $27,145. The Nissan Leaf starts at $27,400 and can cost $19,900 after the tax credit, with a range of 149 miles.
When Mazda first presented the MX-30, it also said it was conceived to be an electric vehicle. That is not true: the company now sells a version of the car with the SKYACTIV G 2-liter gas engine in Japan. The only concession to electricity apart from the 12V battery is the 24V starter generator (ISG), which makes it a hybrid.
A while ago, rumors stated that Mazda would have given up on the rotary engine range extender. The U.S. press department said that was not true and that the MX-30 with a range extender will be presented in 2022. It seems the company decided to decrease the size of the 35.5 kWh battery pack when the electric crossover gets the range extender. The excuse is that it would make it lighter. The truth is that it will make it cheaper.
Mazda knows the handicap. It is offering $500 in credit for charging with ChargePoint (which can also be used to install a charger at home) and the MX-30 Elite Access Loaner Program. As the company puts it, “when owners are feeling inspired to go on an extended trip,” they can borrow another Mazda car for ten days every year.
That’s for free in the first three years of ownership, but why would anyone willing to buy an EV want to burn gasoline or diesel when they want to travel? PHEV owners are the ones that accept that sort of compromise. Although the pure electric MX-30 will be available in California in October, Mazda would better rush to offer the MX-30 with a rotary engine there and in Europe.
When Mazda first presented the MX-30, it also said it was conceived to be an electric vehicle. That is not true: the company now sells a version of the car with the SKYACTIV G 2-liter gas engine in Japan. The only concession to electricity apart from the 12V battery is the 24V starter generator (ISG), which makes it a hybrid.
A while ago, rumors stated that Mazda would have given up on the rotary engine range extender. The U.S. press department said that was not true and that the MX-30 with a range extender will be presented in 2022. It seems the company decided to decrease the size of the 35.5 kWh battery pack when the electric crossover gets the range extender. The excuse is that it would make it lighter. The truth is that it will make it cheaper.
Mazda knows the handicap. It is offering $500 in credit for charging with ChargePoint (which can also be used to install a charger at home) and the MX-30 Elite Access Loaner Program. As the company puts it, “when owners are feeling inspired to go on an extended trip,” they can borrow another Mazda car for ten days every year.
That’s for free in the first three years of ownership, but why would anyone willing to buy an EV want to burn gasoline or diesel when they want to travel? PHEV owners are the ones that accept that sort of compromise. Although the pure electric MX-30 will be available in California in October, Mazda would better rush to offer the MX-30 with a rotary engine there and in Europe.
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