MAZDA

MX-30 e-Skyactiv R-EV with rotary engine starts production in Japan

Mazda Motor Corporation this week started production of the Mazda MX-30 and Skyactiv R-EV for the European market at its Ujina Plant #1 in Hiroshima

The MX-30 e-Skyactiv R-EV is Mazda's first mass-production vehicle with a rotary engine since Mazda discontinued production of the Mazda RX-8 11 years ago in June 2012. In cumulative terms, Mazda has produced more than 1.99 million vehicles with rotary engines.

The MX-30 e-Skyactiv R-EV is a unique PHEV-type plug-in hybrid offering a new application to Mazda's unique rotary engine. This compact and lightweight internal combustion engine drives a generator which either charges the battery or provides additional power if needed. The vehicle is always driven by the electric motor.

While the 85km battery-electric range of the MX-30 e-Skyactiv R-EV is sufficient for most everyday driving needs, the rotary engine allows you to extend that range if needed. The MX-30 e-Skyactiv R-EV is the ideal vehicle for customers who would like to drive in electric mode most of their time, but occasionally drive longer distances and don't want to worry about range.

The original MX-30 e-Skyactiv EV was unveiled in 2020 as Mazda's first mass-production battery-electric model. The line will now be enriched with the MX-30 e-Skyactiv R-EV version, in a unique alternative plug-in hybrid proposal.

The MX-30 embodies Mazda's multi-solutions approach to moving towards carbon neutrality. In its design process, natural products such as Portuguese cork and fabrics made from recycled materials were adopted.

The MX-30's multi-tone paint is applied using high-precision spray guns, which deliver the individual colors with extreme accuracy to the surfaces where they are needed, significantly reducing paint losses. Furthermore, the newly developed inks cure at a low temperature of approximately 80°C. Taken together, these steps reduce CO2 emissions from the multi-tone painting process by around 34 to 37%.

In July 2021, a 1.1 MW solar energy system went into operation at Mazda's Hiroshima plant to supply electricity, also serving to charge the new MX-30 e-Skyactiv R-EV units produced there, before being shipped to the target markets.

Autonews