The principle of the device of a rotary internal combustion engine is known to many from the school course of physics, but in practice only few encounter it. The Japanese company Mazda produced production vehicles with rotary internal combustion engines from 1967 to 2012, but is going to bring them back to the market in 2022 as part of hybrid vehicles.
Image source: Wikipedia
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As conceived by Japanese engineers, as the newspaper notes Nikkei Asian Review, as part of a hybrid power plant, a rotary engine can serve as a drive for a generator that generates electricity for rotating the wheels by means of electric motors. The first carrier of the unusual power plant will be the compact MX-30 crossover, which will be modernized in 2022.
Image source: Mazda
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The basic version of the MX-30 has been sold since 2020 as an electric vehicle with a range of no more than 200 km. This characteristic is forcing many potential consumers to lose interest in this electric vehicle, but Mazda expects to double the range by adding a rotary internal combustion engine to the power plant. It is characterized by high revs and high power density, compact size and low vibration. A separate problem is the layout of the doors of the MX-30 model – the rear sash swings open against the travel, which makes it problematic to use in narrow spaces, and for women with children who often choose compact crossovers, the door is too heavy. What will be done to eliminate this problem, the source does not specify.
Further evolution of the Mazda lineup will follow two parallel paths. Small vehicles will include electric vehicles and all types of hybrids, including variants with a rotary engine. In the “big” class Mazda will focus on the use of internal combustion engines with six cylinders with a volume of more than three liters, including diesels. Such power plants will be equipped with large rear-wheel drive sedans and large crossovers. With their help, Mazda expects to approach the premium price segment, but whether there will be enough connoisseurs of classic internal combustion engines by 2025 remains a big question, given the tightening of environmental standards around the world. To formally meet these requirements, Mazda will transform its flagship models into “soft” hybrids.
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