- the 2022 mazda mx-30 is a new electric vehicle that will go on sale in california this fall.
- it will be initially available only in battery-electric form, with a plug-in-hybrid model coming later.
- the mx-30's small battery pack means it likely won't offer much more than 100 miles of range on a single charge.
mazda's first electric vehicle will finally arrive in the united states later this year, starting in california this fall. the 2022 mx-30 will initially be available only as a battery-powered ev, while a plug-in-hybrid version with a rotary gasoline engine will arrive later on, likely sometime next year.
the fully electric version features a single electric motor powering the front wheels. power output is 144 horsepower and 200 pound-feet of torque, making it significantly less powerful than many other affordable evs.
a small lithium-ion battery pack provides just 35.5 kwh of total capacity—mazda isn't providing a usable-capacity number yet, but we'd estimate it at around 32.0 kwh. this means that the mx-30 isn't likely to offer much more than 100 miles of range on a single charge on the epa cycle. (official ratings aren't yet available, but the mx-30 is rated at 124 miles on the more optimistic wltp cycle.) mazda hasn't released specs for the range-extender hybrid version, but its gasoline engine and fuel tank will likely provide significantly more driving range. dc fast-charging capability is standard, with mazda claiming that the mx-30 can charge to 80 percent full in 36 minutes.
within the current context of ev offerings, the mx-30 is more of a competitor to the mini electric, which has similar power and range numbers, than it is an alternative to longer-range affordable options such as the chevrolet bolt ev. and like the mini, the mx-30 has distinctive styling inside and out, with rx-8–inspired rear half doors and interesting materials such as cork found on the dashboard.
while pricing is not yet available, we think the mx-30 will need an appealingly low starting price to overcome its low range and power numbers. the mini electric starts at just over $30,000, so mazda would do well to try to match or undercut that with the mx-30's base price.