• News
  • Guides
  • Reviews
  • Media
  • About
  • News
  • Guides
  • Reviews
  • Media
  • About
Sign up Now (For Free)

Sign up for our newsletter and receive the latest automotive news in your inbox!

Invalid email address
We promise not to spam you. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Thanks for subscribing!
News
Read Now
  • All News
  • Automakers
  • Automobiles
  • Auto Shows
  • Business
  • EVs & Environment
  • Guides
  • Lawsuits/Legal
  • Regulatory
  • Ride-Sharing
  • Safety & Recalls
  • Technology
Recent
  • The Rearview Mirror: A Sports Car from a Company You've Never Heard Of
  • Analysts Predict Declining Tesla Sales in Q3
  • Overlanding is the New Hotness
  • New Vehicle Sales Increase in September
  • Are EVs Affordable? Only if You’re a Luxury Buyer
  • Honda Takes Wraps Off New All-Electric Prologue
  • Mercedes to Offer True Self-Driving in Late 2023
  • Biden Meets UAW Picketers, Offers Support
  • Ford Halts $3.5B MI Battery Plant; Fain Slams Company
  • An Electric Acura NSX Could Be Coming
Editor’s Choice
    Reviews
    Read Now
    • All Reviews
      • Feeder
    • Classic Cars
    • Concept Cars
    • Convertibles
    • Coupes
    • Crossovers/CUVs
    • Diesel
    • Hot hatches
    • Hybrids
    • Luxury Vehicles
    • Minivans
    • Muscle Cars
    • Pickups
    • Sedans
    • Sports Cars
    • Super Cars
    • SUVs
    Recent Reviews
    • A Week With: 2024 Buick Encore GX Sport Touring AWD
    • A Week With: 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQB 250+
    • A Week With: 2024 Mazda CX-90 Turbo S Premium Plus
    • A Week With: 2024 Mercedes-AMG EQE SUV
    • A Week With: The 2024 BMW i7 xDrive60
    • A Week With: 2024 Alfa Romeo Tonale Veloce AWD
    • A Week With: 2023 Toyota Camry XSE Hybrid
    • A Week With: 2024 Subaru Impreza RS
    • A Week With: 2023 Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 Desert Boss
    • First Drive: 2024 Polestar 2
    Editor’s Choice
      Guides
      Car Warranty
      • Endurance Warranty Reviews
      • BMW Extended Warranty
      • Extended Warranty For Cars Over 100k Miles
      • Extended Car Warranty Cost
      • Subaru Extended Warranty
      • CarShield Reviews
      • CarShield Cost
      • Aftermarket Car Warranty
      • CARCHEX Warranty Reviews
      • Reputable Extended Car Warranty Companies
      • Used Car Warranty Companies
      • Best Car Warranty
      • Is CarShield A Scam?
      • Mercedes Extended Warranty
      • CarShield Plans
      Insurance
      • How To Identify A Car Insurance Company
      • Geico Mechanical Breakdown Insurance
      • How Far Back Does A Car Insurance Company Look
      • Mechanical Breakdown Insurance For Used Cars
      • State Farm Mechanical Breakdown Insurance
      • Mechanical Breakdown Insurance From Progressive
      • Dollar A Day Insurance
      • Auto Insurance For SSI Recipients
      • Car Insurance Rates After A Suspended License
      • Auto Insurance For Salvage Vehicles
      • Average Cost of Dodge Ram 1500 Car Insurance
      • Car Insurance Florida
      • Full Coverage Auto Insurance
      • GrubHub Insurance
      • Amazon Delivery Auto Insurance
      Shipping
      • Car Shipping Companies
      • uShip Reviews
      • Auto Shipping From California To Hawaii
      • Montway Auto Transport Reviews
      • Cheap Car Shipping
      • Easy Auto Ship Reviews
      • Auto Shipping Miami
      • Auto Shipping To Alaska
      • Car Shipping Cost
      • Auto Shipping Hawaii
      • Auto Shipping Puerto Rico
      • Sherpa Auto Transport Reviews
      • Auto Shipping Atlanta
      • Auto Shipping Boston
      • Auto Shipping. Chicago
      About
      • About Us
      • Contact Us
      • Terms of Use
      • Privacy Policy
      • Affiliate Disclosure
      • Sitemap
      TheDetroitBureau.com

      More than just “another” place to find news, reviews, spy shots, commentary, features, and guides about the auto industry. TheDetroitBureau doesn’t stop with the press releases or confuse a few lines of opinion with insightful, in-depth reporting.

      Contact Us

      Like what you see? Have some ideas for making The Detroit Bureau.com even better? Let us know, we’d love to hear your voice.

        Media
        Listen Now
        • Headlight News: All Episodes
        More from TheDetroitBureau
        • Guides
        • Latest News
        • Auto Reviews
        • Podcasts
        Headlight News

        TheDetroitBureau.com’s Headlight News offers a look at the past week’s top automotive news stories, as well as what’s coming up in the week ahead. Check out the week’s top story and our latest review…along with a dive into the past with this week in automotive history.

        home > news > Automakers > Mazda Rotary Revival Back on Hold

        Mazda Rotary Revival Back on Hold

        MX-30 range extender scrubbed, but a PHEV package could be in the works.

        Paul A. Eisenstein
        Paul A. Eisenstein , Publisher & Editor-in-Chief
        July 13, 2021

        Yet again, Mazda has put on hold plans to bring back its rotary engine, this time as a range extender for its first battery-electric vehicle, the MX-30.

        Mazda CEO Akira Marumoto revealed last fall the company plans to use the Wankel rotary engine again.

        More formally known as the Wankel engine, the rotary was once a mainstay of the Japanese brand’s line-up. But the last production model rolled off the line in 2012 when Mazda ended production of its RX-8 sports car.

        The company has looked for a new application ever since and last year announced plans to use it to help boost the range of the MX-30 which was limited to about 124 miles per charge. That plan has been scrapped, though Mazda spokesman Masahiro Sakata told Automotive News, “We are still considering using (a) rotary engine as a range extender, but the timing of its introduction is undecided.”

        Once leading-edge technology

        In the late 1960s and early 1970s, the Wankel was considered a powertrain breakthrough. It was tiny when compared to a conventional internal combustion engine, and required a fraction of the parts. A number of automakers planned to adopt the rotary, at least until a number of weaknesses became apparent.

        Mazda’s first BEV, the MX-30, is now on sale and was slated to get a range-extender option.

        The technology was not particularly fuel efficient, and it had challenges meeting emissions standards. Worst of all, the seals at the end of its spinning, triangular rotors tended to fail catastrophically. That nearly bankrupted Mazda, while other manufacturers, including General Motors scrubbed plans to bring the Wankel to market. Eventually, the Japanese automaker came up with a solution for the seal issue. But the engine’s weak mileage limited its subsequent use in sports cars like the RX-7 and RX-8.

        Even after ending RX-8 production, Mazda continued looking for new applications. And fitting it as range extender seemed ideal. The rotary runs far more efficiently when operated at steady speeds. The idea was to use the engine solely as a generator to provide additional battery once the modest-sized 35.4 kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery on the MX-30 ran down.

        BMW has used a similar strategy with the i3 battery-electric vehicle, the optional i3 REx using a compact 3-cylinder gas engine to boost range.

        An early version of Mazda’s once familiar Wankel rotary engine.

        Latest set of issues

        Mazda has not explained why it suddenly reversed course, canceling plans for the extended-range MX-30 using a rotary engine. Reports by Japanese publications, including the Nikkei business daily, indicate the approach would have proved too expensive, among other things, requiring the use of a larger battery in the electric vehicle.

        It may also reflect changing perceptions about what BEV buyers actually want. Research has shown that customers in all markets expect longer range than what the MX-30 would have been able to provide solely on batteries. But there also has been less market interest in solutions such as range extenders and plug-in hybrids. BMW plans to end production of the i3 REx this month, the automaker now shifting to longer-range BEVs like the new i3 and iX models.

        What other options Mazda might have left for the Wankel engine is uncertain but a more conventional plug-in hybrid may still be in the works, according to the Nikkei. It would feature an even smaller battery pack than the MX-30, offering just enough range for most daily chores and commutes. After the battery runs down, the rotary engine would fire up and take over, allowing the PHEV to continue driving as long as there was fuel in its tank.

        How to Care for Your Car

        Cheap Car Warranty

        Editor's Choice

        Best Extended Car Warranty

        Editor's Choice
        Recently Published

        The Rearview Mirror: A Sports Car from a Company You’ve Never Heard Of

        Today

        Analysts Predict Declining Tesla Sales in Q3

        Yesterday

        Overlanding is the New Hotness

        Yesterday

        Leave a Reply Cancel reply

        Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

        Share this article:
        © The Detroit Bureau 2023
        • Guides
        • Privacy Policy
        • Terms of Use
        • Affiliate Disclosure
        • Contact Us
        • Sitemap
        Follow Us: