The rotary engine is back, though it's no longer fitted to a sports car.
Mazda on Friday used the 2023 Brussels auto show to present a modern vehicle fitted with a rotary engine.
The engine, a compact single-rotor design displacing 0.83 liters, serves as a range extender in a new R-EV variant ofThe engine is mounted directly to a generator and the electric motor that drives the MX30 R-EV's front wheels, all of which is located in the vehicle's engine bay. The engine never drives the wheels, meaning it is free to operate at its rev range that's optimal for power and emissions.
The driver can choose between Normal, EV, and Charge modes. Normal mode will activate the rotary whenever it is required, whereas EV mode will draw power from the battery alone as long as possible. Charge mode will ensure the vehicle always has a minimum amount of battery charge, which the driver can set in increments of 10%. This can be handy if the driver anticipates entering a zone where only EVs are allowed, which may be the case in some cities in the future.
Issues like poor fuel economy and emissions have plagued the rotary, which is the main reason why Mazda, too, hasn't previously offered one since the RX-8 went out of production in 2012.
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