Mazda Justifies Limited Range MX-30 as Eco-Warrior

Paul Myles

TU-Editor

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30th June 2020

Mazda’s slimmed-down BEV’s recharge range is being used as a marketing tool for its new compact CUV, the MX-30.

As reported after it launch at the 2019 Tokyo Motor Show, the 2021 MX-30 enjoys a relatively small range employing an AC synchronous electric motor and a 35.5kWh lithium-ion battery that delivers a range of up to  124miles, much less that other automaker claims for a car of this size. Yet, Mazda says this is to take into consideration the vehicle’s overall affect on climate change by keeping its carbon footprint to a minimum.

It argues that manufacturers and consumer who hold concerns for the rapidly changing world temperatures that threaten our long-term well-being, must consider a vehicle’s overall impact. Considerations should include not only the CO2 emitted by cars themselves while driving but also the emissions caused by the extraction and refinery of fuel or, in the case of BEVs, the generation of electricity as well particularly with most of the planet’s production coming from inefficient coal and oil burning power stations.

The carmaker further points out that, with BEVs, it important to consider the need to reduce CO2 emissions over their entire life cycle. Life-Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a technique designed to measure, in addition to well-to-wheel emissions, the total environmental impact of a product over its entire life, from the extraction of the raw materials necessary for production through to end-of-life disposal.

Following a study by Mazda and the Kogakuin University which has been published in the Sustainable Science magazine, the company’s LCA research has shown that, over their entire life cycle, vehicles with smaller batteries tend to produce lower CO2 emissions than comparable diesel powered cars. To that end, Mazda believes that the MX-30’s battery capacity of 35.5 kwh provides the optimum balance between a driving range which gives customers peace of mind and CO2 emissions from an LCA perspective.

Also, from the driver’s point of view, a smaller battery pack keeps overall vehicle weight lower for good handling and greater agility and, of course, less non-tailpipe pollution, which is currently not the case for many EVs. With a maximum system power of 141bhp and a maximum torque output of 199ft-lbs, the front-wheel drive MX-30 claims a sprint time from standstill to 62mph in 9.7 seconds. It comes with AC charging up to 6.6Kw and DC rapid charging designed to meet 125A Combo Charging standards.

Arriving in European markets early in 2021, the Mazda MX-30 is Mazda’s first all-electric production vehicle and part of an electrification strategy that has already seen Mazda M Hybrid mild hybrid systems fitted as standard to the Mazda3 and Mazda CX-30, plus selected Mazda2s.

— Paul Myles is a seasoned automotive journalist based in London. Follow him on Twitter @Paulmyles_