If you thought that Mazda had turned its back on the rotary engine because we haven’t seen a new super sports car in a while, you’d only be half right.

Mazda has turned on the rotary engine, but that turn is away from high performance, high output, and low-efficiency models to make use of a rotary engine to be something more in future models. By themselves, rotary engines would not have met the new regulations of fuel mileage that we see coming up in the future, but paired with other items, the rotary engine can be useful.

A New Hybrid Confirmed

The Mazda lineup for the future will include a new hybrid vehicle and a new pure electric vehicle as well. As you would expect, the EV model will have only batteries to power the ride and it will give us a range of EV driving that can be right for daily use. This car is expected to compete with the other EV models we currently see on the market. The hybrid model will be powered by a battery pack and a rotary engine range extender that makes it possible for the rotary engine to live on.

The Right Size for the Job in a new Mazda

The Mazda team has used the rotary engine in a variety of high-powered models over the years, but the benefits of this engine have never been lost. The rotary engine is small, lightweight, and quiet, which makes it the perfect choice for being a range extender in a hybrid model. The high power output allows it to add range back to the vehicle and give you the drive that you’re going to enjoy in a more efficient manner than any other rotary in the past.

Sustaining the Zoom-Zoom Philosophy at Mazda

Mazda has been challenged with offering us the vehicles that are exciting and fun to drive along with those that have the dynamic driving features that we want to enjoy. Unfortunately, the rotary engine of the past was considered to be a model that wasn’t efficient and wouldn’t live in a world that’s moving toward EVs and hybrids. The rollout of a hybrid and pure EV model for the next generation is part of the Mazda Sustainability Zoom-Zoom 2030 vision which is aimed at reducing corporate emissions by fifty percent by 2030. This vision began in 2010, giving the team twenty years to get the job done.

Burning more than Gas

The new hybrid rotary engine is made to burn gasoline and liquefied petroleum gas to provide a source of electricity in an emergency situation. The engine is meant to power the batteries of the car, but it could be used to power other items when called upon. This will make the new Mazda hybrid an extremely useful car when it arrives. The Mazda team sees this future as a commitment to meeting the regulations while giving us the cars that are fun to drive at the same time.