Mazda provided us a glimpse into its future by exposing a new rotary variety extender engine as well as enabled us a extremely short drive in a customized Mazda 2 EV to experience it in action.
• Mazda 2 review
The small single-rotor 330cc engine produces 30bhp at 4,500rpm and, via a belt drive, can preserve a constant electric output of 20kw. The compact size of rotary engines makes them completely fit to variety extender applications, while their low vibration as well as very little noise characteristics further add to their suitability for the task of preserving battery fee on electric vehicles.
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Plus, by running constantly at ideal revs, the high fuel as well as oil usage problem that can difficulty rotary engines is negated. Cleverly designed as flat as possible within a modular frame, the engine, electric generator, nine-litre fuel storage tank as well as ancillaries evaluate just 100kg as well as are designed to connect beneath an electric car, without reducing boot area or needing costly redesigning of the body shell.
A short drive of the Mazda 2 EV being utilized as a test bed verified the system is peaceful – it’s only in the back seat that you can hear it running. We didn’t drive the prototype long sufficient to establish what type of impact the additional 100kg hanging behind the rear axle has on handling however Mazda’s engineers declared that in theory the variety extender would double the variety of the Mazda 2 EV before needing its little fuel storage tank filled up.
At this early stage Mazda is coy about the precise abilities of the engine as well as the timescale before we see a production Mazda range-extender EV. Currently, the firm has no electric vehicles in its variety – just a little fleet of pure EV Mazda 2s being tested by government companies in Japan. However, Powertrain advancement Program manager Takashi Suzuki verified that the aim was for the rotary to accomplish a 13g/km output, just like the BMW i3 variety extender engine.
Interestingly, Mazda’s engineers explained that the rotary power pack was so compact that it might have non-automotive uses, including being utilized as an emergency back up generator. With this function in mind it might be adapted to run on Butane or Propane, in addition to petrol.

But more tantalisingly for sportscar fans, Mazda insiders likewise hinted that rotary engine advancement isn’t strictly restricted to variety extender units, as well as that oil as well as fuel usage gains might be implemented in a larger capability rotary engine for a future Mazda RX-8 successor.