2025 Volume 41 Pages 74-79
Battery electric vehicles (BEVs) do not emit carbon dioxide while driving but the range and battery anxiety are still major concerns. Depending on local power supply situations, BEVs may not be the optimal solution from a Well-to-Wheel viewpoint. Mazda proposes a "multi-solution" approach, combining various solutions such as internal combustion engines (ICE), electrification technologies, and alternative fuels for the transition period to the electrification era around 2030. Under such circumstances, Mazda developed a series hybrid electric drive system, e-Skyactiv R-EV, and installed it in MX-30 Rotary-EV. The e-Skyactiv R-EV offers an EV driving range equivalent to 107km for daily use as a BEV, and by incorporating an 8C type rotary engine (RE) for electric generation, it enables longer drives without the battery anxiety. By taking advantage of the compact size of RE over a reciprocating engine with similar output and by downsizing the electric drive unit, they were able to be packaged within the production MX-30's ICE unit while maintaining the interior space of the model. This paper introduces 1) the design of miniaturized hardware components to downsize the electric unit, and 2) the development of control software with improved robustness against electric noise caused by the miniaturization.
