Mazda reveals Mazda2 EV with range-extender Wankel rotary engine

Mazda reveals Mazda2 EV with range-extender Wankel rotary engine

It’s long seemed logical that a compact Wankel rotary engine – running at a constant speed – would be a great way of fitting electric cars with a range-extender option.

Audi flirted with the idea of fitting the A1 e-tron with a Wankel engine a couple of years ago, but that got shelved. And Mazda – keepers of the Wankel flame – came up with the idea of a Wankel engine bolted in to an EV and powered by hydrogen last year, but it seems to0 have gone nowhere.

Now, Mazda has done the sensible thing and revealed a Mazda2 prototype that gets an electric motor to power the wheels as well as a small 0.33 litre Wankel engine to charge the batteries and give an extended range.

The Mazda2 RE Range Extender is viewed by Mazda as a sensible use of the Wankel rotary engine as it can run at constant speed with little noise and run on a variety of fuels.

In the Mazda2 RE the Wankel is fitted under the boot floor and doubles the 124 mile range of the Mazda2 EV, and even then you can be back on the road with a quick fill-up of the fuel tank even when you run low on juice.

Sadly, Mazda is only offering the Mazda2 RE as a prototype, but it seems the perfect way to bring the Wankel engine back to life and make the EV more appealing to ordinary motorists.

By Cars UK