Mazda confirms rotary EV range extender for 2020

Like the BMW i3, Mazda's EV will be available as a pure battery-powered vehicle or range-extended hybrid.

Mazda has confirmed plans to revive its rotary engine in 2020 for an electric vehicle range extender.

The company will follow BMW's i3 strategy with its first electric vehicles, offering one variant as a pure battery-powered EV and another with a gasoline engine that serves as an electricity generator.

Mazda says the rotary engine is perfect for a range extender, with quiet operation and small size. It will also be compatible with a wide range of fuels, including liquefied petroleum gas.

The Japanese automaker has not shed more light on the EVs that will get the rotary engine, though the compact range extender is said to be suitable for 'multiple' types of vehicles.