Milestone
Mazda has recently started building a car with a rotary engine again. The Mazda MX-30 e-Skyactiv R-EV is the first Mazda since 2012 to have a solid piece of technology under the hood. It is that special MX-30 that helps Mazda achieve a special milestone. It has now produced two million cars with a rotary engine.
The very last copy of the Mazda RX-8 rolled off the production line in June 2012. With the disappearance of the Mazda RX-8, the curtain also fell on Mazda’s rotary engine. However, since June this year, Mazda has been building a car with a rotary engine again, but perhaps not quite as you would think. The Mazda MX-30 e-Skyactiv R-EV is an electrically powered car where the rotary engine mainly functions as a range extender.
Some interesting facts: In May 1967, Mazda produced its first car with a rotary engine: the Cosmo Sport (110S). A year later the Familia Rotary Coupé was added (R100), followed by the Luce Rotary (R130) in 1969. More rotation fun came in 1970 with the launch of the RX-2, followed by the RX-3 in 1971 and the RX -4 in 1972. As early as 1978, Mazda built its millionth car with a rotary engine. In 1986, the one and a half millionth Mazda with a rotary engine rolled off the production line. Other models that received a rotary engine included the 929, the RX-7 and the aforementioned RX-8.
MX-30 e-Skyactiv R-EV
The MX-30 is actually a plug-in hybrid. Its battery pack has a capacity of 17.8 kWh and is much smaller than the one in the regular MX-30. The 17.8 kWh battery is good for an electric range of 85 kilometers. The rotary engine, which functions as a range extender and can provide extra power when necessary, has a capacity of 830 cc and delivers 74 hp at 4,700 rpm. Striking: the electric motor of the MX-30 rotary engine is more powerful at 170 hp than the 145 hp unit in the regular MX-30.
– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl