The electric-car revolution may give new life to an old gas engine.
On Tuesday, timed to coincide with the Paris auto show, Mazda announced it will add plug-in capability and electric power to all of its models by 2030. Some will be plug-in hybrids or range-extended electric cars—with a twist.
The company formally confirmed what it had previously suggested was under development: a new, small version of its signature rotary engine to use as a range extender in an eventual series of plug-in hybrids.
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They are not known for being environmentally friendly, with poor fuel economy, persistent oil burning, and difficulty meeting even older emissions requirements.
![Rotary engine Rotary engine](https://images.hgmsites.net/lrg/rotary-engine_100327510_l.jpg)
Rotary engine
These are the challenges Mazda is working to address with a new smaller rotary design that a Mazda executive said last March should be no larger than a pair of shoeboxes. It's not clear whether it might succeed.
Combining a small rotary-engine range extender with electric power could help overcome some of the rotary's challenges by using electric power to handle high loads and by maintaining a steady rpm from the rotary. The experience is likely to be a far cry from the sensory experience offered by generations of Mazda rotary-engine sports cars, however.
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At the time, the company showed two new electric concepts based on the Mazda2, one a pure electric, and the other a plug-in hybrid with a 0.33-liter rotary range extender.
Mazda said its first electric should debut in 2019, and will likely be a crossover SUV based on the next-generation Mazda3.