The Mazda MX-30 is a practical, straightforward and impressive compact SUV with everything you would expect from a well-made car by Mazda. There is just one small question mark, and it is small, the battery.
A stylish and versatile crossover, the Mazda MX-30 features an AC synchronous electric motor and a 35.5kWh lithium-ion battery that delivers a range of approximately 124miles and comes with AC charging up to 6.6Kw and DC rapid charging designed to meet 125A Combo Charging standards. With a maximum system power of 145ps and a maximum torque output of 271Nm, the front-wheel drive MX-30 will accelerate from 0-62mph in 9.7 seconds.
Alongside the development of efficient combustion engine technology such as the Spark Controlled Compression Ignition Skyactiv-X petrol engine, the fully-electric MX-30 is part of Mazda’s philosophy of the right power source in the right place at the right time, formed from the company’s ‘well-to-wheel’ approach to emissions measurement.
This methodology concerns not only the CO2 emitted by cars themselves whilst driving, but also the emissions caused by the extraction and refinery of fuel, or the generation of electricity in the case of EVs.
Moreover, in the context of EVs and the batteries they use, Mazda considers it important to consider the need to reduce CO2 emissions over their entire life cycle. Life-Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a technique designed to measure – in addition to well-to-wheel emissions – the total environmental impact of a product over its entire life, from the extraction of the raw materials necessary for production through to end-of-life disposal.
Following a study by Mazda and the Kogakuin University which has been published in the Sustainable Science magazine, the company’s LCA research has shown that, over their entire life cycle, EVs with smaller batteries tend to produce lower CO2 emissions than comparable diesel-engined cars. To that end, Mazda believes that the MX-30’s battery capacity of 35.5 kwh provides the optimum balance between a driving range which gives customers peace of mind and CO2 emissions from an LCA perspective.
But does Mazda’s reasoning about using a smaller battery to reduce overall CO2 make sense?
