Mazda revives rotary engine to extend range of electric cars
Mazda Motor is planning to revive its iconic rotary engine in a plug-in hybrid car by the end of this year as it attempts to simultaneously please fans and cope with tougher environmental rules in its main markets, such as Europe.
This time, the rotary engine itself will not actually propel the car. Instead, it will generate electricity to power the electric motor and other systems in the car. Mazda aims to make all of its cars electric by 2030.
Conventional engines rely on the up-and-down motion of pistons. Mazda’s rotary engine, by contrast, uses triangular rotors that spin, making the structure as a whole more compact. It also boasts high output and low vibration.
Mazda ceased producing cars with rotary engines in 2012 because of the difficulties in meeting environmental regulations. Ever since, the carmaker has been looking for a way to revitalize the iconic design.
Plans to bring back the rotary engine have been dropped or postponed several times over the past few years. Now the company says it is finally ready to release a rotary engine-equipped car in the latter half of this year — the MX-30 SUV, sold mainly in Europe and Japan.
The MX-30 was Mazda’s first mass-produced electric car, released in 2020. Sales have struggled to take off, however, due to its short cruising range. It can travel about 250 km on a single charge, significantly less than other carmakers’ EVs.
Some parts makers say the company is aiming to double the MX-30’s range by adding the rotary engine as a generator.
The pricing of the revamped MX-30 is unclear. The company may adopt the same rotary engine-assisted system in other cars in the medium to long term.
“This is the most Mazda-like initiative in their electrification strategies, and the market is looking at how it will contribute to the sales volume,” said analyst Eiji Hakomori of Daiwa Securities.
Adding a gas-fueled rotary engine to the MX-30 would make Mazda’s first EV a plug-in hybrid rather than a fully electric vehicle.