Mazda's MX-30 EV Is Its First Electric Car in the US

This fall Mazda will introduce its first electric car: the 2022 MX-30. It’s a small SUV with funky rear-hinged rear doors that will go on sale first in California in October. Mazda also announced the pricing for the electric vehicle, which starts at $34,645, including destination and before any federal or state tax incentives. 

The 2022 Mazda MX-30 is powered by a 143 horsepower electric motor that sends its power to the front wheels and a 35.5 kWh lithium-ion battery. That small battery only gives the MX-30 an EPA estimated 100 miles of range. That’s a bit disappointing, since that puts the MX-30 behind its rivals, like the Chevy Bolt and the Hyundai Kona Electric. The Bolt has a 259-mile range and the Kona Electric has a 258-mile range.

With a shorter driving range than its rivals, the MX-30 is already behind the pack and its starting price doesn’t make it more attractive. The starting price is a bit more than the Bolt, which starts at $31,995. For buyers that want an even more affordable EV, the base 2022 Nissan Leaf starts at $28,375 and it beats the MX-30 with an estimated 149 miles of range.

After the available incentives, the MX-30 will cost less than $24,000. California offers a $1,500 Clean Fuel Reward and a $2,000 Clean Vehicle Rebate, plus there’s the $7,500 federal tax credit. It will arrive in other states in 2022, but Mazda has not announced which states will get the MX-30 next.

Charging the MX-30 will take up to 2 hours and 50 minutes with a 240-volt charger, but if you plug it into a DC Fast Charger, it can be recharged up to 80% in only 36 minutes. Mazda is also including a $500 ChargePoint credit that drivers can use to either charge at public stations or toward the price of an in-home ChargePoint Level 2 charger.

Inside the MX-30 places an emphasis on sustainability with cork accents, leatherette seats, and the door trim that is made from recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles. It also comes standard with an 8.8-inch infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and a 7.0-liter digital instrument cluster.

Standard safety features include adaptive cruise control, a blind-spot monitor, lane-keeping assist, automatic emergency braking, and rear-cross traffic alert.

The MX-30 will be available in two trim levels: Base and Premium Plus. The top of the line MX-30 Premium Plus starts at $37,655 and comes standard with a 360-degree camera system, and a Bose 12-speaker audio system.

For buyers that need to take a trip that surpasses the MX-30’s driving range, Mazda includes the MX-30 Elite Access Loaner Program that lets drivers borrow a gas-powered Mazda for up to 10 days a year. Other automakers have offered similar programs for EV buyers in the past, like BMW and Fiat.

At the end of the day, it remains to be seen if EV buyers will gravitate to the MX-30 with its rear-hinged rear doors, like the BMW i3 and its shorter driving range.

While the MX-30 does have a shorter driving range than its rivals, Mazda is also working on a plug-in hybrid version with a rotary engine. Mazda hasn’t announced when the MX-30 PHEV will arrive. The MX-30 is just the start of Mazda’s electrification plans. Mazda plans to introduce three fully electric vehicles and five plug-in hybrids by 2025. Mazda is also working on a new platform for its electric models and we hope that its future EVs have a much longer driving range than the MX-30

By 2030, Mazda wants 100% of its lineup to be electrified, which means that every vehicle will be a hybrid, plug-in hybrid, or fully electric vehicle. Also by 2030 Mazda wants 25% of its sales to be EVs.