Mazda’s first mass-produced battery-electric vehicle was the Mazda MX-30.
Mazda unveiled the MX-30 at the 2019 Tokyo Motor Show and began production at its Ujina factory in Hiroshima on May 19, 2020. It is a subcompact crossover related to the Mazda CX-30, but it was given its own styling, interior materials and unusual rear-hinged “freestyle” doors.
The battery-electric version uses a 35.5 kWh battery and a front-mounted electric motor. Mazda chose a relatively small battery, arguing that limiting vehicle weight and reducing demand for raw materials were important parts of its environmental approach. That decision also meant the EV’s range was modest compared with many rival electric crossovers.
The MX-30 name can cause confusion because the model later became available with other powertrains. Mazda introduced mild-hybrid versions in some markets and a plug-in hybrid version using a single-rotor Wankel engine as a range extender. Those variants do not change the fact that the MX-30 was Mazda’s first mass-produced electric car.