North American culture tends to hold that bigger is better, especially in automobiles. Therefore, it makes sense to have very large batteries in electric vehicles, and longest-possible driving ranges too. But not so, one Japanese car maker says. Smaller batteries make bigger sense for urban motorists.
That’s Because Smaller Batteries Make Bigger Carbon Savings
Mazda told Autocar the average European driver travels only 35 miles a day, so why burden them with a larger carbon footprint. Moreover, an electric car with a smaller 35kWh battery breaks even with diesel in terms of CO2 after 50,000 miles.
The auto maker cites a study by a Japanese university that found a 95kWh battery could never break even because of embedded CO2. Smaller lighter, batteries make bigger carbon savings and beat diesel within an affordable distance, especially because they cost less energy to move. So what will the new Mazda look like technically?
The New Mazda Will Have an Optional Diesel Extender
The alpha production MX-30 model will price around $38,000 including a 35kWh battery. The electric motor will output 141 bhp / 195 lb-ft of torque, and allow 130 miles between battery charges.
If a Mazda MX-30 driver needs to travel a longer distance, they will soon be able to specify a compact rotary diesel range extender. This will fit neatly under the hood. Smaller batteries make bigger carbon sense for urban commuting and shopping expeditions in this context. We have to learn to cut back on our carbon excesses, and this appears to be one way of achieving this.
We hope this initiative proves a success, despite flying in the face of conventional EV wisdom. The Japanese car maker has apparently de-tuned the electric motor torque, so the transition from fossil to green is ‘less dramatic’.
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Preview Image: The MX-30 Freestyle Doors (TTTNIS)
Video Share Link: https://youtu.be/Gj_H3vxoy8s
