Return of the Rotary: Mazda Plans Dorito Range-Extender for EV

Fans of the mythical rotary engine, a powerplant spoken of in hushed tones by Mazda fans ever since the company killed it off about a decade ago, will have something to celebrate after the Brussels Motor Show later this week.

Adding to its portfolio of electrification options, Mazda will be offering a fresh powertrain choice in its little MX-30 crossover, one which features an electric generator powered by a newly developed rotary engine.

Details are scant but what we do know comes from the company’s European branch which spilled the beans this morning. Potentially (and creatively) called the MX-30 R-EV, it’ll incorporate a rotary mill that will act as a range extender to the electric gubbins currently found in the MX-30. Alert readers will recall that model is rated at a slim 100 miles of range on a full charge, perhaps suitable for other markets but not ideal for many Americans.

It'll be interesting to learn if Mazda calls this mashup a plug-in hybrid or a range extender. Taken at face value from what we know today – which isn’t much – your author would categorize it as the latter since it sounds like the rotary will act as a generator for the electric powertrain and never directly power the wheels. A plug-in hybrid, as we know the term right now, can generally push itself down the road on internal combustion if necessary.

But we’ll learn all that once the car is revealed in Brussels. Packaging will also be interesting to see, though anyone who has peered under the hood of an MX-30 will know there are acres of space between the front tires – even with the EV guts in place.

There’s no official word if the MX-30 R-EV will be sold on this side of the pond. If offered, it could drive a stake through the heart of the all-electric MX-30 thanks to that car’s diminutive range numbers. The rotary range extender would help immensely in that regard. Whatever happens, rotary fans will be glad to know Mazda hasn't ended their fascination with the Dorito.

[Image: Mazda]

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