Mazda has killed off the electric MX-30, and we can’t say we’re surprised
The MX-30 EV has been axed, but the Japanese brand will have another crack next year when it launches the all-new Mazda 6e saloon
The electric Mazda MX-30 has been hamstrung since it was launched, with its paltry 124-mile range, awkward coach doors and cramped rear cabin overshadowing most of its attributes. So it should come as no surprise that after just four years on sale, the brand has quietly axed its first and only electric car.
The Mazda MX-30 made its world debut at the 2019 Tokyo Motor Show, and despite its name suggesting that it was in some way related to the MX-5 roadster, underneath the unorthodox crossover was based on the more conventional, combustion-powered Mazda CX-30.
Mazda’s explanation was that it uses ‘MX’ for the names of cars that do things their own way and “convey new values without being tied to the conventional ideas of the present”. The ‘30’ just indicates its size and position in the brand’s line-up.
One of the more eye-brow raising decisions Mazda made was fitting the MX-30 with a rather small 35.5kWh battery, which would provide about 100 miles of range in the real world. The thinking was that this size of battery would reduce weight for better handling and mean fewer CO2 emissions from the car’s production and across its lifecycle, but still provide a sufficient range.
When the MX-30 was launched in the UK in early 2021, it rivalled other small electric SUVs like the Kia Soul EV and Peugeot E-2008, but its short range and limited practicality also put it in competition with city cars such as the Honda e and MINI Electric.
In the years since, even more competitors have arrived, including the Jeep Avenger, Renault 4 and MINI Aceman, which are simply more usable day-to-day – all three offering up to around 250 miles of range, and proper back doors – but don’t lack personality.
Mazda’s future with electric cars
Importantly, while the pure-electric MX-30 BEV has been dropped, the plug-in hybrid ‘R-EV’ version is still on sale. It features an even smaller 17.8kWh battery, but also uses a 0.8-litre rotary engine to generate more energy. With a fully charged battery and a full tank of petrol, Mazda says the R-EV can cover more than 400 miles.
Mazda isn’t giving up on electric cars, and next year it will launch its rival to the Tesla Model 3, the Mazda 6e saloon. Plus the Japanese brand is expected to launch a fully electric SUV, likely called the CX-6e, not long after.
Of course, not having a single electric car in its line-up right now raises questions about how Mazda will comply with the UK Government’s ZEV mandate. The target for 2025 is that at least 28 per cent of manufacturers’ new car sales are of zero-emissions vehicles.
A spokesperson for the company told Auto Express: “Mazda will meet the requirements of the ZEV/VETS legislation through the various flexibilities within the scheme and the introduction of further BEVs.”
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