Originally expected to debut in 2022, the Mazda MX-30 PHEV, which will be introduced as a rotor engine to increase endurance, was finally officially confirmed by Mazda after a one-year delay and will be officially unveiled in the second half of this fiscal year, that is, before March 2023. The rotor engine will finally return to the automotive scene in a completely new form after 10 years of production of the RX-8 in 2012.
The glory of the rotor engine in the past, the RX-7
Discontinued in 2012, the RX-8 is Mazda's last rotor-engine-powered series. Prior to this, both the RX-3 and the RX-7 enjoyed a special place in the car world with this special engine type. Among them, RX-7 due to the influence of anime, movies and other popular culture, even if it has been more than 20 years since its exit, its second-hand car prices are still high, and the modifications are still dazzling, and it is not too much to call it a "palace-level" Japanese sports car.
The rotor engine disappeared for 10 years and will return in 2023
However, although the rotor engine has the advantages of small size, large power, high speed and linear power, its high fuel consumption, oil eating, high emissions and maintenance problems such as the need to replace the rotor seal regularly are easy to deter the owner, so with the exit of the last generation of RX-8 equipped with a rotor engine, the rotor engine has officially disappeared in the car world.
In the years since the rotor engine disappeared, there have been rumors that Mazda intends to revive it. However, due to the above shortcomings, while the unfavorable factors such as environmental protection regulations and oil prices are increasing, the possibility of direct return of the rotor engine is also getting lower and lower. Fortunately, Mazda's engineers still did not give up the brand's pride, and decided to let the rotor engine in the form of an extended-range engine, the latest electric vehicle MX-30 PHEV, and it will be available before the end of March 2023 at the earliest.
The rotor engine has the advantages of small size and high output, and is suitable as an extended range engine
The so-called extended range engine means that the engine is not directly connected to the transmission system, but is connected to the lithium battery pack in the form of a generator, which makes the vehicle have a higher endurance through power generation. Due to the small size and high output of the rotor engine, the PHEV model equipped with the rotor engine can enjoy a greater advantage in terms of weight compared with the traditional reciprocating piston engine.
According to the relevant patent diagram previously applied by Mazda's Japan Patent Office (Japan Patent Office), Mazda wants to place this rotor engine horizontally in the tail box of the electric vehicle, mainly so that the rotor in the extended-range rotor engine can be fully lubricated with oil in a limited space, and the luggage compartment space can still maintain a certain volume and maintain the low center of gravity of the body.
The MX-30, released in 2020, is similar in positioning to the CX-3 and is also a small crossover SUV, with the first version using a 2.0-liter e-SkyActiv G gasoline engine with light oil power, and the MX-30 EV Model pure electric model was added in the follow-up. At present, Mazda has only confirmed that the MX-30 PHEV will appear before March 2023, but has not released any specification data.
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