Electric Cars: The Basics
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The Mazda MX-30 Electric SUV
The Mazda Motor Corporation, more commonly known as Mazda, is a leading Japanese automotive manufacturer. Mazda is a global automotive company, with business activities across a number of key international markets. For a time, the US based Ford Motor Company owned a stake in Mazda, during the time Mazda was undergoing financial difficulties. The Ford-Mazda partnership did result in a number of successful initiatives.
Mazda has conducted research on alternative fuel vehicles for many decades. The company has had a particular focus on hydrogen-powered vehicles. The company currently has the following EVs on sale in Ireland:
- All-electric Mazda MX-30
- Mazda CX-60 plug-in hybrid
- Mazda MX-30 R-EV plug-in hybrid
The all-electric Mazda MX-30 crossover SUV, is the first production battery-electric vehicle (BEV) from Mazda. The pure electric compact SUV was unveiled at the 2019 Tokyo Motor Show. The Mazda electric vehicle (EV) has been positioned for the urban driver, with the Japanese automotive manufacturer following a very similar ethos to Honda-e, in keeping the EV battery size small. Both the Mazda MX-30 and Honda-e use a 35.5 kWh lithium-ion EV battery.
Mazda is unique, in that, one of the key determinants of the EV battery size was the ‘life-cycle’ environmental impact. According to Mazda, the smaller battery pack has a more positive environmental footprint, challenging some of the conventional wisdom in the electric vehicle sector, with automotive manufacturers aspiring for large EV batteries with longer zero-emission electric range.
In our view, electric cars that are offered in different EV battery size options are best positioned for the long-term. A choice of battery options widens the consumer base, to include, city drivers and longer distance motorway drivers.
The Mazda electric vehicle is positioned for the young urban commuter and its 35.5 kWh battery size reflects the shorter city commutes. Mazda claims an emission-free electric range up to 200 km (WLTP). Of course, the real-world range will be lower, and realistically the EV will deliver just over 170 km.
However, given the positioning of the compact crossover i.e. city dwellers, a 170 km pure electric range is more than sufficient. Do keep in mind that the average commute in Ireland is a mere 25 km and the average distance covered 50 km. Urban day-to-day needs, will require far less range i.e. local grocery store, high street, school run etc!
In general, we do recommend a topping up approach to charging an electric car. This way, there is always sufficient range available and the time for charging is reduced. Moreover, charging an electric car on a regular basis is good for the long-term maintenance of the EV battery. Mazda offers a 8 years or 160,000 km warranty.
The EV offers DC charging up to 50 kW, which is more than sufficient, given the size of the onboard EV battery. The electric car can be charged up to 80% in 26 minutes. Just enough time for a coffee and short motorway break.
The MX-30 e-SUV incorporates a 6.46 kW AC (1-phase) onboard charger. This again is appropriate, given that most homes in Ireland are powered by single-phase power supply. The EV battery can be charged up to 80% in 3 hours via a dedicated single-phase home EV charging station like myenergi zappi. We discourage the use of a domestic 3-PIN plug for charging an electric car. The EV will take up to 9 hours and 30 minutes to charge up to 80% via a standard domestic socket!
In terms of performance, the front-wheel drive Mazda MX-30 delivers 0-100 km/h in 9.7 seconds, with a 140 km/h top speed (maximum power: 145 PS/ torque: 271 Nm). The electric car also benefits from instant torque. The pure electric MX-30 comes with 5 driving modes.
Mazda has made it a point to emphasise the key environmental credentials of EV. The company has opted for low-impact and sustainable materials for the inside cabin, to include, recycled plastic bottles and cork harvested from the bark of trees without felling. This is a trend gaining momentum among automotive manufacturers to deliver on improved life-cycle environmental footprint.
In terms of technology and safety features, depending on the trim, the EV offers: 7” touch-screen for climate control settings, 7” TFT instrument cluster display, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, blind spot monitoring, driver attention alert, emergency lane-keeping, intelligent speed assist, traffic sign recognition, reversing camera, head-up display, Mazda radar cruise control and more.
The e-SUV has been designed for the urban environment, and this certainly has impacted the internal cabin space. For rear seat passenger, the legroom and headroom is limited. Moreover, due to the ‘BMWi3’ type door configuration, gaining access to the rear seats is not as easy as a more traditional four-door vehicle. The EV has a 350 L boot.
Bottom-line, electric driving is good for the environment and the wallet!
| PROS | CONS |
|---|---|
| An affordable compact electric SUV | Limited electric range and small EV battery |
| Well suited for city driving needs | Access to rear seats not easy. Limited legroom, headroom for rear seats and small boot space |
| Low-impact and sustainable materials for the inside cabin | Only available as front-wheel drive |
Gallery
The Mazda MX-30 Electric SUV (credit: Mazda)
| At A Glance | |
|---|---|
| EV Type: | Battery-Electric Vehicle (BEV) |
| Vehicle Type: | SUV (Compact Crossover) |
| Engine: | Electric |
| Available In Ireland: | Yes |
| Variants (3 Options) |
|---|
| Prime-Line (from € 42,090) |
| Exclusive-Line (from € 43,690) |
| Makoto (from € 47,107) |
| EV Battery & Emissions | |
|---|---|
| EV Battery Type: | Lithium-ion |
| EV Battery Capacity: | Available in one battery size: 35.5 kWh |
| Charging: | 50 kW DC Rapid Charging (20%-80%: 26 mins). Onboard charger: 6.6 kW AC (20%-80%: 3 hours) |
| Charge Port: | Type 2 |
| EV Cable Type: | Type 2 |
| Tailpipe Emissions: | 0g (CO2/km) |
| Battery Warranty: | 8 years or 160,000 km |
| Average Cost Of Residential Charging | |
|---|---|
| Battery net capacity: 16.7 kWh | € 4.00 |
| Battery net capacity: 30.0 kWh | € 7.19 |
| Battery net capacity: 39.2 kWh | € 9.39 |
| Battery net capacity: 45.0 kWh | € 10.78 |
| Battery net capacity: 50.0 kWh | € 11.98 |
| Battery net capacity: 64.0 kWh | € 15.34 |
| Battery net capacity: 71.0 kWh | € 17.01 |
| Battery net capacity: 77.0 kWh | € 18.45 |
| Battery net capacity: 90.0 kWh | € 21.57 |
| Battery net capacity: 100.0 kWh | € 23.97 |
- Note 1: The average cost of residential electricity in Ireland varies depending on the region, supplier and type of energy used. An average for Ireland is 23.97 cents/kWh.
- Note 2: Not all EV manufactures make available the data on net EV battery capacity, and in a number of instances the EV battery capacity advertised, does not state if it is gross or net capacity. In general, usable EV battery capacity is between 85% to 95% of the gross available capacity.
| Charging Times (Overview) | |
|---|---|
| Slow charging AC (3 kW – 3.6 kW): | 6 – 12 hours (dependent on size of EV battery & SOC) |
| Fast charging AC (7 kW – 22 kW): | 3 – 8 hours (dependent on size of EV battery & SoC) |
| Rapid charging AC (43 kW): | 0-80%: 20 mins to 60 mins (dependent on size of EV battery & SoC) |
| Rapid charging DC (50 kW+): | 0-80%: 20 mins to 60 mins (dependent on size of EV battery & SoC) |
| Ultra rapid charging DC (150 kW+): | 0-80% : 20 mins to 40 mins (dependent on size of EV battery & SoC) |
| Tesla Supercharger (120 kW – 250 kW): | 0-80%: up to 25 mins (dependent on size of EV battery & SoC) |
- Note 1: SoC: state of charge
| Dimensions | |
|---|---|
| Height (mm): | 1555 |
| Width (mm): | 1795 |
| Length (mm): | 4395 |
| Wheelbase (mm): | 2655 |
| Turning Circle (m): | 11.4 |
| Boot Space (L): | 350 |
| e-SKYACTIV EV | |
|---|---|
| EV Battery Capacity: | 35.5 kWh |
| Pure Electric Range (WLTP): | 200 km |
| Electric Energy Consumption (kWh/100km): | 19.0 |
| Charging: | 50 kW DC Rapid Charging (20%-80%: 26 mins). Onboard charger: 6.6 kW AC (20%-80%: 3 hours) |
| Top Speed: | 140 km/h |
| 0-100 km/h: | 9.7 seconds |
| Drive: | Front-wheel drive (FWD) |
| Electric Motor (kW): | 107 |
| Max Power (PS): | 145 |
| Torque (Nm): | 271 |
| Transmission: | Automatic |
| Seats: | 5 |
| Doors: | 5 |
| Kerb Weight (kg): | 1,750 |
| Colours: | 5 |
| NCAP Safety Rating: | Five-Star |
Solar And EV Charging: An Overview
The benefits of renewable energy, in particular, solar and wind energy, is already well established across Europe, and in other parts of the world. With the increase in sales of electric vehicles (EVs) over the past three years, the advantages of using clean and renewable energy has been further enhanced.
Firstly, on-site renewable energy can be used for powering both business premises and homes. For on-site generation, we have witnessed a significant increase in distributed clean energy generating plants i.e. many commercial buildings and residential buildings have become generators i.e. generating electricity on-site! Solar roof projects have been popular for such on-site generation installations.
The ongoing war in Ukraine has further amplified the need to develop energy security, not only at a national level, but also at a local level, to include, businesses and households. Those households and businesses that already generate and consume clean energy on-site have been spared the significant onslaught of energy price rise in 2022, which is expected to continue in 2023.
Installing solar panels on-site, mitigates the risks associated with energy price inflation, a significant contributor to costs for a business or a household. On-site renewable energy generation also impacts the environment positively. For those with electric vehicles (EVs), in particular, pure electric vehicles, we strongly encourage the use of renewable energy for EV charging. Of course, we also encourage the use of solar energy for charging a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV).
Apart from the significant cost benefit i.e. generating renewable energy is a nominal cost per kWh (after initial set-up/ installation costs), to achieve true zero-tailpipe emission electric driving, renewable energy needs to be used for EV charging. This is also known as ‘well-to-wheel’. Just one electric car on the road can save an average of 1.5 million grams of CO2.
The good news for electric car owners is that a number of EV charging stations are now compatible with solar/ wind generation and battery storage. The UK manufacturer myenergi zappi is a good example of a solar/ wind compatible EV charger.
We encourage business and households to adopt an on-site ecosystem of ‘renewable energy-battery storage-EV charging’, to gain the maximum from the advantages of low carbon generation and zero-emission electric driving. Bottom-line, renewable energy is good for the environment and the wallet!
While e-zoomed uses reasonable efforts to provide accurate and up-to-date information, some of the information provided is gathered from third parties and has not been independently verified by e-zoomed. While the information from the third party sources is believed to be reliable, no warranty, express or implied, is made by e-zoomed regarding the accuracy, adequacy, completeness, legality, reliability or usefulness of any information. This disclaimer applies to both isolated and aggregate uses of this information.
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Untethered myenergi zappi Home EV Charging (7kW): price includes product only – free delivery
€1,145.95 (Including VAT)Category:EV Charging Points -
Custom Made Single-Phase EV Charging Cable Type 2 to Type 2 (2m to 45m, 7.4 kW) – Made In Europe – Free Delivery
€219.95 – €645.95 (Including VAT)Category:EV Charging CablesType:Type 2Length (m):5 m10 m6 m15 m20 m2 m25 m30 m35 m40 m45 m3 m7 m8 m12 m18 m22 mCurrent (amp):32 ampPhase:Single Phase (7.4kW) -
Custom Made 3 Phase EV Charging Cable Type 2 to Type 2 (2m to 45m, 11kW – 22 kW) – Made In Europe – Free Delivery
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Custom-Made Tesla Compatible EV Cable Type 2 to Type 2 (2m to 25m, 7.4 kW, Black) – Free Delivery
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