Mazda had planned to bring back the rotary engine as part of a range-extender for an electrified vehicle.
That plan is paused, at least for now.
Instead, it appears the rotary engine will return as a power assist for plug-in hybrids as well as series hybrids.
“We are still considering using rotary engine as a range extender, but the timing of its introduction is undecided,” spokesman Masahiro Sakata told Automotive News.
According to AN, reports in Japanese media suggest Mazda has dropped plans to use the rotary as a range extender in the upcoming MX-30. Supposedly, the rotary necessitated a bigger battery, and that would’ve driven up the MX-30’s cost too much.
Mazda had planned a global launch of the MX-30 with rotary range-extender for some time in the first half of 2022, with special attention paid to the American and European markets. A full EV version of the MX-30 launched last year in Europe and Japan, and the Japanese market also got a mild-hybrid version.
The journey of the rotary remains a strange one.
[Image: Mazda]
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