Failing to sell in the US, the MX-30 is now dead, and Mazda is shifting its focus to hybrids and PHEVs instead.
Mazda North America has announced the death of its electric crossover, the MX-30. Despite its stylish look with fancy suicide doors, sales seem to have struggled in the US, to say the least. Indeed, the EV has been out for nearly two years, and only 571 units have found an owner — 181 in 2021, 324 the year after, and 66 so far this year. Needless to say, these numbers aren’t impressive for the Japanese automaker.
That said, the MX-30 is arguably one of the least ideal electric vehicles for American roads. With a ridiculously tiny battery pack and a range of the early EV days, it was rather hard to justify buying it as a daily driver. The electric crossover packs a small 30 kWh battery pack, good for just 100 miles on a single charge — see the problem?
The MX-30 was supposed to compete with other compact electric SUVs like Chevy Bolt and Hyundai Kona Electric. While Mazda is clearly the winner in terms of styling, both its Korean and US rivals are doing better in sales by offering more range and far better performance for less money. To give you an idea, the MX-30 starts at $34,110, while a base Chevy Bolt offers more power and over twice the range for $9,000 less.
And speaking of power, the electric Japanese crossover isn’t that impressive in this department either. It only has one electric motor on the front axle, producing 143 hp and 200 lb-ft. But to be fair, the MX-30 is still worth adopting the “MX” name for its playful chassis and sharp steering.
Along with the announcement of the MX-30’s death, Mazda also stated it plans to focus more on selling hybrid SUVs, like the CX-90 PHEV, CX-50 Hybrid, and the upcoming CX-70 PHEV, which seems more suitable for the US market. Indeed, these models are way more tasteful, especially the CX-90 PHEV, offering a turbocharged 6-cylinder hybrid with 340 hp and close to 500 miles of range.
Meanwhile, if you’re interested in adding the handsome MX-30 to your collection, you might want to act fast before dealerships go out of stock soon.
Gallery: 2023 Mazda MX-30
