Eleven years after the Mazda RX-8 was discontinued in June 2012, the company has re-started production of rotary engines. Of course, this is 2023 and thirsty rotary engines have no place in today’s strictly regulation automotive industry. Clearly Mazda’s latest rotary engine can’t be anything like the two-rotor Renesis 13B 1.3-litre engine used in the RX-8.

Instead, Mazda’s latest rotary engine is a single rotor 830cc that makes just 76 PS. It’s not much but it’s good enough because the tiny engine is not meant to drive a car but to recharge the electric Mazda MX-30 R-EV 17.8 kWh battery.

For all its intents and purposes, the MX-30 R-EV is a range-extended electric vehicle but Mazda prefers to call it series plug-in hybrid vehicle.

Whatever the term is, buyers only need to know that the MX-30 R-EV is an electric vehicle that carries its own generator. You can plug it in for overnight charging, like you would with any electric vehicle but unlike a typical electric vehicle, you can keep driving the MX-30 R-EV if you can’t find an available charging station.

The MX-30 R-EV has an EV-only range of 85 km (WLTP) but with the rotary engine running, it can cover up to 600 km.

Designated 8C, the range-extender rotary engine uses 80 mm wide housings, plasma coated aluminium side plates and 2.5 mm apex seals.

It also uses aluminium side-plates to keep weight down. The 13B engine from the RX-7 had iron side-plates.

Like the RX-8’s Renesis engine, the 8C also has side intake and exhaust ports, but unlike the Renesis, the 8C has direct injection.

The 8C engine is produced at Mazda’s Ujina Plant No. 1 in Hiroshima City.

Closer to home, Bermaz Motor sells the regular, fully electric Mazda MX-30 for RM 198,980.