MAZDA MX-30 e-SKYACTIV R-EV Mass Production Launched
Auto & Tech | MAZDA MX-30 e-SKYACTIV R-EV Mass Production Launched | HIROSHIMA, Japan, June 22, 2023 – (via JCN Newswire) – The European version of the MAZDA MX-30 e-SKYACTIV R-EV has entered mass production at Mazda’s Ujina Plant No. 1 in Hiroshima City, the firm said on June 22. Since Mazda stopped making the RX-8 in June of 2012, this is the automaker’s first mass-produced vehicle using a rotary engine. More than 1.99 million Mazda automobiles powered by rotary engines have been produced to date.
There is no other plug-in hybrid vehicle quite like the MX-30 e-SKYACTIVE R-EV. With the rotary engine providing additional power, its 85-kilometer (53-mile) range(1) as a fully electric vehicle is more than adequate for most daily commutes. In addition, there is a motor that powers the entire driving area.
The MX-30 will debut in 2020 as Mazda’s first mass-produced battery electric vehicle, joining the automaker’s existing mild hybrid and a brand-new plug-in hybrid option. Mazda’s MX-30 represents their multi-pronged strategy for reaching carbon neutrality. Cork and fabrics created from recycled materials were applied in ways that highlight their inherent beauty and create a comfortable atmosphere as part of the design process of being environmentally responsible. Mazda is committed to minimizing its production-related environmental impact.
Mazda is committed to achieving the transition to a carbon-neutral supply chain by 2050 as part of our efforts to help us all live in peace on this beautiful planet.
Initiatives for reducing Mazda’s environmental impact in the MX-30 production process
1) Multi-tone painting — Energy-saving initiatives
Mazda has added a spray gun to the specialised paint line that applies multi-tone paint(2), which is a unique design feature of the MX-30. This gun is used to spray the areas where different colours need to be applied separately. This painting method cuts down on paint loss by letting you control the distance between the spray paint gun tip and the body surface down to the millimetre. Also, to speed up the drying process, we have started using new paints that harden at a low temperature of about 80°C instead of having to be fired to 140°C. When compared to the process of painting with multiple colours on a regular line, this set of steps has cut energy use by a lot. It has also cut CO2 emissions by about 34%–37% on an annual basis.
At Mazda’s production sites around the world, we have made progress in reducing CO2 emissions and volatile organic compounds, both of which involve trade-offs. In 2002, we introduced the Three-Layer Wet Paint System and in 2009, we introduced the Aqua-Tech Paint System, both of which help with the painting process, which has a big impact on the environment. Also, the MX-30 multi-tone paint line uses the Aqua-Tech Paint System to lessen its effect on the environment and get a high-quality paint finish that shows off the beauty and strength of the KODO: Soul of Motion design form.
2) Solar power system – Renewable energy adoption initiatives
Mazda’s Hiroshima Plant has a 1.1 MW solar power plant that started working in July 2021. The power generated is used to charge MX-30 EV models, which are made at the plant, as well as the newly mass-produced e-SKYACTIV R-EV, which is being sent out, and to run the whole plant.
(1) Electric-only driving range: The number from the European WLTP test cycle when EV mode is chosen as the drive mode. This number is based on how the car was tested, and the real electric-only driving range will rely on how the car is driven. Also, if the driver needs to speed up quickly and presses down on the accelerator pedal past a certain point on purpose (this is the same as using the kickdown switch on a standard automatic gearbox vehicle), the power generation system will turn on and make the energy needed for the output.
(2) Body colours with two or three colours.
