Rotary-electric Mazda MX-30 underway to the market in January

Mazda will be unveiling a new version of its rotary-engined MX-30 EV at the auto show in Brussels on January 13, 2023. Most importantly, the car will become an efficient range-extender hybrid known as the R-EV.

In the R-EV, the Wankel engine will run at a constant speed to charge up the battery and extend the electric range. Given how dismal the range of the existing MX-30 EV is, it is probably the single best news for all fans of the model. As it stands right now, the car makes do with a small 35.5-kWh battery pack only sufficient for 161 km (100 miles) of EPA-rated range.

The current MX-30 EV uses a single electric motor with 144 PS (142 hp / 106 kW) and 271 Nm (200 lb-ft) of torque. It needs 9.6 seconds to go from standstill to 97 km/h (60 mph).

It remains unknown how large the rotary engine volume will be or whether Mazda will ramp up the output of the electric motor to compensate for the added weight.