The Mazda MX-30 R-EV Revives the Rotary

• Mazda’s MX-30 e-Skyactiv R-EV uses a single rotor, 830-cc rotary engine to generate electricity.

• The MX-30 e-Skyactiv R-EV is a series hybrid, which means the range-extender does not provide mechanical assistance to the wheels.

• Mazda says this plug-in hybrid will hit UK dealers this summer. It’s unclear if this MX-30 variant is coming to the United States.

The beloved rotary engine helped Mazda take home an overall win at Le Mans, and now it’s helping extend the range of its battery-electric vehicle. While the rotary engine has laid dormant, the powers that be at Mazda saw an opportunity to turn its quirky battery-electric MX-30 into—arguably—the most unique plug-in hybrid on the road. The MX-30 hybrid does sacrifice some battery size but makes up the difference with its onboard generator.

The star of this plug-in hybrid’s show is obviously the rotary range extender. The 830-cc engine sports a single rotor and is set up as a series hybrid. That means this range extender won’t power the wheels directly but only turn gasoline into electricity. This hybrid powertrain should make the MX-30 more viable as a daily driving machine.

The hybrid’s 17.8-kWh battery is nearly half of the standard MX-30’s 32-kWh battery pack, which slices the battery-only range to 53 miles per the WLTP cycle. Adding to that battery size is a 13.2-gallon fuel tank that feeds the rotary engine. While Mazda has yet to give details about the MX-30 hybrid’s total range, count on it to best the standard battery-electric MX-30.

This plug-in hybrid model also makes more power than the standard MX-30 EV, advertising 125 kW of power, which translates to 167 hp. That’s over 20 extra hp heading to the front wheels than the standard MX-30.

Mazda helps you control the gasoline-burning rotary range extender with three drive modes. Normal mode gives you electric mobility as long as you have enough juice to supply the electric motor. If you don’t, say during hard acceleration, the gasoline engine will start and supply the extra electricity. The EV mode keeps you exclusively in electric-only power as long as possible. Mazda also notes that if you press too hard on the accelerator, the rotary will kick on and supply power. The final offering is Charge mode, to charge the battery.

The MX-30 R-EV’s rotary also gives it some extra creature comforts. The rotary generator can be used to supply 1500 watts of power for those who need electricity off the grid. If you do have access to a charging station, the rotary MX-30 can use standard and fast charging to supply the battery while stationary.

Mazda says you can place your order now if you live in the UK. The company says this plug-in hybrid MX-30 will start at £31,250 ($38,188 at current exchange rates) and is expected to hit UK dealers this summer. It’s unclear if this MX-30 variant is coming to the United States, but bringing the rotary back stateside would make fans happy.

What do you think about the MX-30 e-Skyactiv R-EV? Does the rotary generator make it more interesting? Tell us your thoughts below.