Mazda will show its first electric car in October at the Tokyo motor show

19 September 2019

Electric vehicle Mazda e-TPV will receive the rotary-piston "mileage extender"

Japanese automaker Mazda Motor Corp. known worldwide for its advanced competencies in the production of internal combustion engines. However, almost the entire global auto industry have relied on e-mobility and ostorozhnichaet informed about EV-themes Japanese company "suddenly" appeared in lagging behind. A marketing delay in the launch of the pure electric vehicle (BEV) is still to be overcome – according to the press Secretary of the company Yoshikazu Nagai – already coming to the end of October, the Tokyo motor show (with 24X for 4XI) will debut the first electric car of Mazda e-TPV – from "electricTechnology Prove-out Vehicle" (or whatever it will be called). A series of electric car will get next year as part of a plan for the gradual electrification of the model range of this Japanese brand.

Meanwhile, Mazda has created for the internal test drives (but some journalists preferred English avoidany ride is still given – ed.) prototypes of the e-TPV with the electric filling in steel bodies media from the new compact crossover CX-30. While Mazda claims that the show car that will Shine in Tokyo, will be "completely new model" (i.e. irrelevant to the CX-30 is not having – ed.) although the company and does not disclose details even about the body type of the upcoming new products.

The prototype e-TPV is a rechargeable Li-ion battery with a capacity of "only" 35,5 kWh and an electric motor with a capacity of 105 kW and ΜM=235 N•m (comparable up with a 1.6-liter turbo-diesel), driving the front wheels through a single-stage automatic gearbox.

On-Board charger with a capacity of 6.6 kW will meet the needs of both domestic and public charging systems.

While the prototype e-TPV equipped with charging ports only rashema type CHAdeMO, but Mazda confirmed that the version for the European market will also receive a plug-type CCS, are designed for rapid charging capacity of 50 kW. A fully charged battery e-TPV will be able to provide a power reserve of only up to 200 kilometers, although the exact numbers are in range of mileage still to be confirmed during the tests. Today this reserve is considered frankly inadequate, but a small (by today's standards) battery allowed to put the weight of the car roughly 1.6 T.
To fix the "main problem" e-TPV Mazda provided a "mileage booster" in the form of gasoline retorno-porshnevie engine low power with a generator, with which the reserve exceeds 400 kilometers. This system scheme is similar to that used for BMW i3 and mainly helps to recharge the battery, but if necessary can be connected directly to the traction motor. In fact, thus, a "highly rigid hybrid", which, nevertheless, the PHEV is not considered. The development of the "Mazda" rotary-piston of the booster is carried out in the framework of the theoretical compatibility with vehicles running on compressed natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas and hydrogen.

At the moment e-TPV made in the form of BEV battery only version, but according to the journalists under the bonnet of the CX-30 compact electric motor is only the left side of the engine compartment, leaving sufficient space for placement of the booster unit.

The proportion of regenerative braking e-TPV is still being finalized. The engineering team is still considering various options given the characteristics of the electric vehicle, including the installation of steering column paddles to be the drivers not to shift gears (which is not), and to control the degree of regeneration, including choosing a potential mode "smooth slow" mode or freewheel. And provides the driving mode one pedal as the Nissan LEAF II, although this feature may not make it appear to the Tokyo debut of the car.
Overall, the project of the electric vehicle separated from the joint developments that Mazda holds in the consortium with Toyota for electric cars. This industrial band formed in 2017, also includes OEM Subaru, Suzuki and Toyota Group, Denso Corp.

Pure battery version of the Mazda e-TPV will focus on such markets as Japan, Europe and China, where BEV can use a smaller reserve, but the extension of mileage is considered necessary for North America and other markets, where daily trips are much longer.

P. S. This attention to the English market is clear – he will clearly be among the first and most important to first "train" the Mazda no matter what Brexit.

P. P. S. Even more important will be the return of a series "vankila"at least in the form of a motor-generator, and, with a hint of the future megatoplist until hydrogen"!.