Mazda MX-30 EV future secure in Australia

The Mazda MX-30 Electric has been axed in the US amid dismal sales of just 66 vehicles so far this year in California (the only US state in which it was sold), but Mazda Australia is sticking by its first and so far only battery-electric model for the foreseeable future.

The confirmation comes almost a year after carsales discovered local dealerships were heavily discounting new and ex-demo stocks of the MX-30 EV by more than $16,000, despite the fact Mazda Australia only imported an initial batch of 100 vehicles.

Mazda Australia says the sole ‘E35 Astina Electric’ variant has accounted for just over five per cent of all MX-30 sales since the small electric SUV’s local introduction in 2021, but just three sales were recorded so far in 2023 and the EV is now effectively available on an order-only basis Down Under.

“Sales are on par with expectations – we originally requested an initial allocation of 100 MX-30 Electric units for the Australian market, and all of them have sold,” a Mazda Australia spokesperson told carsales.

“Separately, new vehicle orders have also been, and continue to be, fulfilled on an individual basis as and when received.”

The spokesperson confirmed there were no plans to axe the zero-emission SUV in Australia any time soon, declaring it an “important pillar” in the brand’s “multi-solution approach to sustainable vehicles”.

“Its introduction here gave our local dealer partners time to prepare and invest in the necessary EV infrastructure ahead of the introduction of the first-ever, all-hybrid Mazda CX-60,” they said.

The inbound CX-60 line-up is topped by Mazda’s inaugural plug-in hybrid powertrain and will set the scene for the bigger CX-90 PHEV to arrive early next year, however, the plug-in hybrid R-EV version of the MX-30 remains off-limits for Aussie consumers.

We asked Mazda Australia if there’s been any changes to its ‘no MX-30 R-EV’ stance, but the brand reiterated its priority was launching the CX-60 and CX-90 without mentioning the rotary-powered R-EV in its response.

Those tempted by a new MX-30 will therefore need to choose between either the mild-hybrid or EV versions, or shop elsewhere if they’re specifically after a plug-in hybrid compact SUV.

Options are thin on the ground at the moment Down Under, where only the Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross PHEV offers the halfway-house EV technology in the sub-$40,000 small SUV segment. Other brands are offering either only hybrid and/or battery-electric powertrains.

For reference, the MX-30 is powered by a single 107kW/271Nm electric motor drawing current from a 35.5kWh battery pack that’s capable of charging from 20-80 per cent in 26 minutes and yields an effective range of up to 200km.

Mild-hybrid versions of the MX-30, meantime, combine a 114kW/200Nm 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine with a 24-volt mild-hybrid system for combined fuel consumption of 6.4L/100km.

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