It seems like we've been waiting forever for Mazda to come out with a new rotary engine. The last production car to use the unique powerplant was the RX-8, and that car was cancelled all the way back in 2011. Now, the rotary engine is officially returning to Mazda's lineup—as a range extender for the automaker's first electric vehicles. Mazda revealed the news today in a short press release announcing the launch of its first electric vehicle in 2020. One version will be purely electric, while the other will sport a rotary engine range extender that functions similarly to the gasoline engine in a BMW i3. Here's how Mazda justifies the use of a rotary engine in this application: The rotary engine's small size and high power output make multiple electrification technology solutions possible via a shared packaging layout. Taking advantage of the rotary engine’s compatibility with gaseous fuels, the rotary-powered range extender is designed to also burn liquefied petroleum gas and provide a source of electricity in emergencies. We've seen reports about the rotary returning as a range extender before, so this doesn't come as too much of a surprise. Mazda doesn't specify the body style, battery type, or driving range of its new electric vehicle, nor does it say whether this new model will be sold in the United States. The only thing we know for sure is that it'll have a rotary engine. This new rotary-backed EV is the second part of Mazda's "Sustainable Zoom-Zoom 2030" initiative, where Mazda intends to pursue advanced drivetrains using a combination of efficient gas engines, alternative fuels and electric power. The first part, of course, is the automaker's ultra-efficient SkyActiv-X compression-ignition gasoline engine, first revealed in 2017. Though it's not the RX-badged sports car we've been hoping Mazda would build, this news is a step in the right direction for rotary die-hards everywhere. This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io<doc-sep>It's really, truly, finally happening, folks. The rotary engine is coming back. And just as the many rumors patents , and even a Mazda2 prototype suggested, it will return as a range extender for an electric car . The news comes from an official announcement from Mazda itself.We won't have long to wait, either, as the rotary-supported EV is slated to go on sale in 2020. It will be one of two electric vehicles available, the other being fully electric. Mazda also mentions that the rotary powertrain is small enough to fit "shared packaging layouts." It's a possibility that these two vehicles are variations on the same model, similar to the Hyundai Ioniq and Honda Clarity Mazda further notes that the rotary engine will also be able to run on liquified petroleum gas, citing the engine's ability to handle gaseous fuels. This has us wondering if Mazda will offer compatibility with other fuels at some point. Hydrogen could be a good choice for California, and Mazda has had a number of hydrogen-powered rotary-engine vehicles in the past . Propane compatibility could be popular in other regions.Mazda didn't say anything else specific about the vehicle besides highlighting the rotary engine's high power output with a small package and smooth operation. It also mentioned that the range-extended car could be used as a source of electricity when the power grid is down. We're sure to learn more as we near the car's 2020 launch date.<doc-sep>We love a good engine here at Top Gear towers, especially good engines from Mazda. To be more specific, rotary engines from Mazda. Today, the company has confirmed it will – finally – return to the configuration it made famous via the likes of the RX-7 and 787B: it will build a rotary engine! It will not however, be on its own. It’s being rolled out as part of an electric drivetrain; a range extender to recharge an EV’s battery on longer runs. Yeah, sorry about getting you all excited. Mazda intends on building two battery-powered electric cars, the latter pairing up with the new engine. We’re told the new rotary – able to run on LPG – will be small, light and “exceptionally quiet”. Oh dear, this isn’t going well. Still, it’s a rotary. It forms part of Mazda’s plan to have 95 per cent of its cars electrified in some form by 2030, along with squeezing out ever more innovation from the humble internal combustion engine. And yet. Mazda signs off with a note that while its EV offering – including the range-extender – will conform to environmental regulations, it will also have to fulfil the company’s plan to make good driver’s cars. Hope is kindled, people of the internet. Now, step two is really quite simple: RX Vision Coupe, 800bhp rotary/EV power, rear-wheel drive, boom. We have used said RX Vision as illustration because looking at it makes everything all nice and lovely.<doc-sep>
See? And you thought all that praying to Ahura Mazda was for nothing, right? Well it worked: Mazda’s legendary Wankel rotary engine is coming back! To cars! Of course, Ahura Mazda’s power isn’t exactly what it was back in 500 BCE, so there’s a catch: the rotaries will just be used as range extenders for upcoming Mazda electric cars. Still, the rotary’s back! Finally, you can have apex seal problems on an electric car! I kid, I kid! I love the rotary! Mazda is planning to have 95 percent combustion-electric hybrid vehicles by 2030 (the remaining 5 percent will be be pure battery-electric vehicles), and are planning to use rotaries as range extenders for the hybrid vehicles, citing the rotary’s small size to power output ratio, quiet operation, and fuel flexibility: The rotary engine’s small size and high power output make multiple electrification technology solutions possible via a shared packaging layout. Taking advantage of the rotary engine’s compatibility with gaseous fuels, the rotary-powered range extender is designed to also burn liquefied petroleum gas and provide a source of electricity in emergencies. The rotary engine was first used as a range extender on the Mazda Cosmo, when it extended that car’s range from 0 miles to however many miles you wanted by adding more gasoline. A rotary is a pretty good choice for a range-extending engine for not just the reasons cited above, but because it’s pretty much vibration-free and has fewer moving parts than a conventional piston engine, helping with maintenance and longevity. It’s possible the rotaries used may be small and oriented with the rotor on a horizontal plane rather than a vertical, as seen in this Japanese patent drawing from September: A flat, horizontal layout will likely make packaging easier, possibly allowing a rotary range extender to be housed in an underfloor compartment along with a hybrid’s batteries. The first Mazda hybrid with a rotary range extender is expected to come out in 2020. Sure, it’s not an all-new rotary RX-7, but I’m just happy to see the rotary engine still staying alive and relevant.