It's Official: Mazda Will Bring Back Rotary Engines In 2020 As Range Extenders
With various Mazda execs touting a return of rotary tech for the last few years, the company itself has finally given us confirmation. At the Paris Motor Show, the Japanese company announced that its first-ever EV - set for a 2020 launch - will be available with a “small, lightweight and exceptionally quiet rotary engine as a range-extender.”
Rotary engines are compact yet able to produce impressive power outputs, making them ideal range-extenders, Mazda reckons its new one will even be able to run on liquefied petroleum gas if required.
It’s perhaps not the rotary return lovers of the RX-7 and RX-8 might have wanted, but as has been pointed out by Mazda personnel before, this new project keeps Wankel technology alive and makes it much cleaner-burning than before. This increases the likelihood of a rotary-powered ‘RX-9’ happening. It still seems like a remote possibility, but it’s a possibility nonetheless.
It may seem like Mazda is late to the EV party, but that’s very deliberate. It has committed itself to a “right solution at the right time” strategy, citing varying electricity production methods that mean electric cars aren’t always as green as we might think. This is why the firm is - shock horror - still developing petrol engine technology, in the form of its new high-compression SkyActiv-X engine.
Mazda has even extensively redesigned the 2.0-litre naturally-aspirated SkyActiv engine in the MX-5, allowing it to rev higher and produce more power. Rotary engines, relaying electrification and persevering with N/A engines? Mazda certainly seems determined to do things differently.
Growing up on a diet of World Rally Championship highlights and lengthy Gran Turismo 2 sessions, a life in cars was as good as inevitable for Matt.
Comments
Guess i still gotta wait until Mazda uses the rotary as a main powersource instead of just a range extender. Love it in my rx8, and plan on buying an rx7, so an rx9 would be a welcomed addition IF its ever produced
I hope they manage some manual ones! But in truth thats an awesome way to bring rotary back!
You’d be able to heel toe it like a manual model 3! Amazing stuff!
I like where this is going
Sounds like you won’t be able to drive via rotary power, range extender sounds like it will be a rotary attached to a generator to recharge batteries. It’s probably just going to be just on or off. And when its on they’ll be revving the piss out of it to make the apex seals last the longest. It will just quietly hum at 10K rpm and recharge the batteries that power the motors that actually move the cars. I figure if everyone charges their car every night and has a normal commute that motor won’t be on much so reliability isn’t as much of a problem.
I died at “It will just quietly hum at 10K rpm”
Would it be bad if it kept the braap braap sound despite being ev powered ?
EliteBGN see what I was saying?
ye, and i still think its gaÉ
Finally it is comfirmed! It may not yet be in the form of a sports car, but this means that they are developing the rotary still. This therefore will allow for them to develop it to the point of being a viable drivetrain for an rx9.
Back in 2015 they said they’d reveal the RX9 in January 2019, I’m anxious enough to still believe in them.
So it’ll sound like a rotary with a cvt?
Yesssssss thank you Mazda