Mazda's first battery-electric subcompact MX-30 crossover, will first go on sale Canada this fall with a relatively small 35.5-kilowatt-hour battery before employing a rotary-engine range extender in a future version.
Mazda said the limited launch of the battery-electric MX-30 is the first step in an electrification strategy that will bring a plug-in hybrid version of the MX-30 with the reintroduction of its rotary-engine technology. Mainstream hybrids in larger vehicles will follow.
The MX-30 is on sale in other markets as both an EV and a mild hybrid with an existing piston engine. The Japanese automaker is developing a dedicated EV platform for future vehicles.
"The MX-30 is the first step in our multi-solution approach to electrification," David Klan, CEO of Mazda Canada, said in a statement Wednesday. “The introduction of the MX-30 BEV will begin a shift to more electrified models, including a series plug-in hybrid with a rotary generator for MX-30, a plug-in hybrid for our new large vehicle platform, and a traditional hybrid for our upcoming new crossover that will be built in the U.S."