Mazda’s to launch EV by 2019, rotary engine as potential range extender



According to Auto Express UK, Mazda is looking to introduce an all-new electric car that is due in 2019. This electric car is said to take shape as a city car to rival the likes of the Renault Zoe and Nissan Leaf. The company also revealed the possibility of employing a rotary engine as a range extender for the electric car.

Matsuhiro Tanaka, head of Mazda’s European R&D explained that the logic for rolling out a small city car is because a larger car would require heavier parts and is not Mazda’s priority to work around the problem. Tanaka-san however, mentioned that for Mazda to create a large-sized EV, they would have to reimagine their strategy to bring weight down, such as developing lighter materials in the future.

An all-electric Mazda2 perhaps?

On the rumoured rotary engine electric powertrain, Tanaka-san confirmed that such technology exists as rotary engines are capable of producing consistent power quietly at standard revolutions.

With Mazda’s plan to introduce plug-in hybrid cars by 2021, this all-electric city car with a rotary powered range extender may soon be a reality. So folks, seems like the rotary is not dead yet, just that it’s taking a different form from what we remembered it.