Will the rotary engine of Mazda come back? The next electric model suggests so

The future plans of Mazda involve introducing new electric vehicles worldwide. According to the British publication Auto Express, the Japanese company plans to launch a new electric vehicle in 2019. This zero-emission model could introduce a rotary engine that would extend its range and will use the same design language as the CX-5 and RX Vision concepts.

During the Geneva Motor Show, the European R&D head Matsuhiro Tanaka stated the following about the possible production of an electric model: “It is a possibility we are examining. A compact car is the best option for an electric model, since large vehicles need batteries that are too big, which increase the overall weight of the car, and this would not make sense for us.”

The future zero-emission model could reuse a rotary engine mechanism that stopped being manufactured in 2010 with the last generation of the Mazda RX-8, although this time with a small difference: the Japanese company could incorporate a rotary and electric powertrain for its electric vehicle, an innovative and much more efficient solution. “We already manufacture this type of engine, but I cannot go into details. Both performance and range are possible with the rotary powerplant. It is a stable and quiet engine at standard revolutions, so that possibility has potential,” says Matsuhiro Tanaka.

Although it is expected to be a rival to cars such as the Renault Zoe, it is not yet confirmed that the car will be produced for the European market. Tanaka did not give many details about this zero-emission model, but when asked about the platform on which it will be built, he replied: “It will need to be a new architecture design. Although our strategy with this model will be the same as with our current range, the technology is different. It will introduce lighter materials, for example. If we use heavy batteries, we need to reduce the total weight somehow. We will develop a new materials technology in the future to address this.”

From 2021 onwards, Mazda will also expand its range of electrified vehicles with a new line of plug-in hybrid models. “We are developing a hybrid concept. We have already introduced a hybrid – Mazda 3 – in Japan, so we have this technology,” assures the head of R&D of Mazda in Europe.