Mazda has released the price and specs of the highly-anticipated MX-30 E35 Astina – the company’s first ever electric car – ahead of its launch later this year.
The new MX-30 E35 will set you back $65,490 before on-road costs, making it marginally cheaper than Tesla’s most affordable option – the Model 3, which retails for $68,425 plus on-roads.
Comparatively, the mild-hybrid version of the MX-30 – released earlier this year – retails for $33,990.
Mazda’s entry into the EV market won’t be for everyone, with the MX-30 being specifically designed for city driving.
Unlike other EVs like the Hyundai Kona or Tesla Model 3 which have a 484km and 423km range respectively, the MX-30 will only run for 200km on a single charge.
However, Mazda claims there’s a good reason for this, and that it’s more than enough for the average city driver commuting less than 50km per day.
“We’ve been saying since day one that this is a city-based vehicle and if it spends the majority of its life driving in that environment, then the range is absolutely perfect,” Alastair Doak, Madza’s marketing director told news.com.au.
While this may be practical for city drivers, it seems to further exacerbate one of the major concerns for EVs in Australia – the fact that so many Aussies (including city dwellers) will make long, interstate journeys annually.
In addition to being fit for purpose in the city, the smaller battery has a lower carbon footprint, meaning that MX-30 ownership uses less energy throughout its whole life (including manufacturing and recycling) than other EVs on the market.
“Its about the total CO2 impact of the car, not just the sticker on the window to make everybody feel good,” Doak said.
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Mazda MX-30 Australian price and specs
- Doors: 5
- Seats: 5
- Battery: 35.5kWh lithium-ion battery
- Motor: 107kWh, 271Nm
- Charging time (20% to 80%): 9 hours (standard 10amp house plug), 3 hours (32amp wallbox), 30 minutes (50kW fast charger)
Features:
- 18-inch alloys
- 12-speaker Bose premium sound system
- 360-degree camera
- Active cruise control
- 5-star ANCAP safety rating
The Mazda MX-30 will start at $65,490 plus on-roads. Pre-orders will be delivered from August 2021.
Mazda ordered a limited supply of 100 vehicles for the initial drop. At the time of writing 99 are still available.
You can read more or pre-order your Mazda MX-30 electric here.