2024 Mazda MX-30 R-EV - Can The Rotary Range Extender Save The MX-30?

The Mazda MX-30 is a pleasant EV, but because of its small battery and limited practicality, it's never been a big sales hit. Now Mazda has launched a range extender version with a smaller battery and a rotary engine under the hood to alleviate the pure-electric variant's range anxiety. It's on sale in Europe right now and while it's a lot better than the BEV version, has it got what it takes to woo plug-in hybrid buyers its way?
Written, presented, shot, and edited by Andrei Nedelea.
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[@rydinorwin]

They needed to keep the original battery size. What a strange car! Good review, most reviewers really don’t understand it, they drive it 500 miles and say, wow it’s doing 35 mpg / 10 litres/100 km!

[@OneTireFire]

Thank you! I agree it should have had the range extender and the original battery size. It is quite efficient when you drive it in mixed conditions mostly in tow, I will give it that.

[@anthonytube]

The engine mic was a work of genius! :-) Thanks

[@OneTireFire]

Thanks! I honestly did it out of my own curiosity :)

[@datathunderstorm]

@@OneTireFire May I ask; where was your engine microphone installed? Was it inside the engine bay? Or installed inside the cabin? The sound does not match with what I am hearing from inside the cabin when the Range Extender Wankel Rotary Engine runs - as witnessed on numerous other MX-30 R-EV review videos on KZbin. I'm both puzzled and curious.

[@OneTireFire]

@@datathunderstorm it was inside the engine bay, right next to the rotor itself. I used one of my lav mics and clipped it to an electrical cable.

[@JD-qd1bp]

Great review, very professional.

[@OneTireFire]

Thanks for watching!

[@FC1032]

Nice! Finally got to hear what that engine sounds like.

[@sergeysedelnikov3015]

I drive this car now for 3500km, I must say that the engine noise is not noticeable over 40km/h speed.

[@whocares264]

yes it is noisy

[@jatinpatel2159]

Great Review for EV users that covers info on the R Extender .How and where can I order this Mazda Generator to connect to my Indian EV ?

[@OneTireFire]

Thanks! Maybe get it from a crashed MX-30 R-EV :)

[@user-wf7kc9be6r]

Generator takes 50 liters which goes 600 KMs or 372 miles. So 13 gallons @5.00 USD per, is $65.00 to go 372 miles or 28 miles per gallon of gas. So not much more than the gas model. Yet you can plug it in instead and then use gas if you can't find a charge. So that is an improvement.

[@OneTireFire]

Valid point. Thanks for chiming in!

[@user-hn5rp2ml5u]

I have the pure EV version and it is a sweet drive. I did not get the R-EV because the battery range is too low and significant company car tax applies (in the UK) - which is a shame as I really like the R-EV as an idea. Probably the tax is different in other markets.

[@OneTireFire]

It's a fine EV for short journeys and carrying no more than three people. Thanks for sharing!

[@taurus4336]

Ojalá existan más vehículos con este mismo concepto: ELÉCTRICOS DE RANGO EXTENDIDO. Por ahora el Mazda MX-30 R-EV es el único a excepción del Nissan e-Power pero este último no es enchufable y su batería es ridículamente pequeña.

[@OneTireFire]

Honda tiene algo similar. Sus híbridos e:HEV son similares en concepto, aunque en esos coches el motor de combustión sí impulsa las ruedas cuando se conduce constantemente a velocidades más altas. He revisado un par de ellos en el canal si quieres verlos.

[@michaelvella8511]

Great idea I thnk.....better then pure electric.

[@OneTireFire]

Yeah, I agree, although a bigger battery could have also worked.

[@taurus4336]

1000% de acuerdo!

[@whocares264]

The all electric mx 30 had a pretty disapointing electric range so they have made this with less than half the electric range,oops now if they still had the 100 mile electric range with this system , success...what ev car makers seem to have forgotten is charging at home is the cheap to run and convenient bit, now i know people will say ,what if you cant charge at home, simple dont get an ev.

[@deansmits006]

Imagine if Mazda put this CX-5, paired with a larger battery....say around 25kwh. Could get 100-120 km (plenty of range), rarely needing the rotary generator. Still, the wankel is a bit of a hard sell for many people

[@golfy808]

I was of the understanding that the engine spun at constant rpm only

[@OneTireFire]

I thought so too, but after putting a mic near the engine and driving the vehicle, you can hear its revs increase as you accelerate.

[@taurus4336]

@@OneTireFire En ese caso, posiblemente funcione enviando energía al motor eléctrico en forma conjunta con la batería.

[@toyotaprius79]

Everyone thought so too! The presumption was that constant revs meant minimum wear and tear.

[@toyotaprius79]

​@@taurus4336_duh_

[@deansmits006]

It makes sense that it varies to add more power in certain scenarios. I would hope that it still keeps within it's most efficient range, but I'm not a Mazda engineer

[@lexstockton3785]

A car I’m very interested in but not available in the US, damn it. One point, I think you’re wrong about the reduction in torque in this and other electric cars. My guess is people got tired of tires wearing out far faster than an ICE car. Short of a “burn out” there isn’t much harder on a tire than using max torque at low speeds, so easy to do in the EVs I’ve driven (Tesla S and 3, Audi E-Tron). JMHO

[@OneTireFire]

From what I know, Mazda wanted to bring this to the States but then decided against it for some reason. I guess you're right about the torque reduction, I was just speaking for myself-I liked the burnoutey nature of older EVs :D

[@lexstockton3785]

@@OneTireFire Two different modes, the fun side and the real life part. For me I can say running that “S” I got to drive at full throttle was huge fun, but my buddy owned the car so I didn’t want to turn the tires into smoke. Anyway, nice to see your channel reviewing this car. FWIW, thanks for using your excellent English, my Spanish is weak and any other language is a total mystery so I wouldn’t be able to watch your vids w/o that extra effort.

[@squint09]

The new rotory only powers a generator. It charges the battery in an ev

[@OneTireFire]

It sure does 👍

[@Wilsonangij]

why the engine so noisy?

[@OneTireFire]

It's not especially noisy from inside the car. In the noisy bit of the video, I put the microphone under the hood, right next to the engine.

[@toyotaprius79]

Fun fact! In the early 2010s Mazda had working Mazda2 REx prototypes, quickly killed it and celebrated at why they will never need to build or invest in EVs

[@OneTireFire]

And look at them now :)

[@amremad5758]

Never gonna make it because of the suicide doors and it's small size , if they went for normal crossover it'd sell

[@OneTireFire]

Yeah, I agree it would have been more popular if it was more conventional. Access into the rear is tricky and even once you manage to climb into the back, space and outward visibility are limited.

[@user-hn5rp2ml5u]

I said "suicide" doors at the car show room and the dealer said "we call them freestyle doors sir" 🙂. I actually think they are quite cool. (If you want a large SUV there are other options).

[@cbbgenki4315]

I like it being unique & rare

[@andrewallan5442]

Sounds like …utter toss

[@OneTireFire]

It’s pretty interesting and unique, although not necessarily enjoyable 😅

[@whocares264]

yes that is the wanker engine

[@whocares264]

if only it had a hundred mile electric only range and the petrol engine was in the back so you dont hear it, oh yes the 2014 bmw i3 rex.....yes you sure can hear that wanker engine...

[@OneTireFire]

Wanker engine :))

[@whocares264]

@@OneTireFire correct