New Mazda rotary to be unveiled this week, with a spin on the idea

The much-anticipated return of Mazda's rotary engine will happen later this week, with a reveal scheduled in Europe on Friday (local time).

But those waiting for the long-rumoured RX-9 may be disappointed, with Mazda instead utilising the rotary engine as a range extender in the MX-30 Electric.

The 2023 Mazda MX-30 R-EV (rotary electric vehicle) as it's expected to be called will slot in between the 2.0-litre mild-hybrid and the purely-electric models in the MX-30 line-up, providing owners with additional petrol-powered driving capability after the battery pack has been depleted.

MORE: Mazda MX-30 rotary range-extender one step closer to Australia

Unlike most conventional plug-in hybrid cars, which use both electric motors and petrol engines to drive the wheels directly, the MX-30 R-EV is expected to use its rotary petrol engine as a range extender – that is, creating electricity just to feed the battery, which in turn powers the electric motors.

While full specifications of the MX-30 R-EV are expected in the coming days, it's likely the 200km driving range (WLTP cycle) claimed for the MX-30 Electric would be reduced slightly due to the additional weight of the rotary engine – assuming it uses the same battery – though drivers will then be able to switch to petrol power.

Mazda Australia has previously told Drive the MX-30 range-extender is on the cards for its local line-up, saying back in July 2021 it was "pushing to have it here in Australia when it becomes available".

MORE: 2013 Mazda 2 EV Rotary Range Extender review

The upcoming rotary range-extender has been one of the automotive industry's worst-kept secrets, with unconfirmed reports of a production version being in development dating back to 2017, following the discovery of patent filings.

But Mazda's idea of a rotary range-extender is now a decade old.

In 2013, the company revealed an electric Mazda 2 prototype with range extender, using a 0.33-litre single-rotor engine making up to 28kW – a tiny power output by today's standards, but more than enough to feed electricity to the battery.