Mazda MX-30 range, battery & charging

The MX-30 is fitted with a 35.5kWh battery, which seems small next to those of rivals like the ORA Funky Cat (46kWh) and Peugeot e-2008 (50kWh). However, according to Mazda, this size of battery offers the best compromise between the environmental costs of manufacturing and benefits to the consumer.

In other words, Mazda has opted to minimise impact on the environment by using up fewer of the earth's resources (including rare-earth materials like lithium and cobalt) and reckons that those switching from internal-combustion engined cars don't need as much range as they think they do.

That's probably true – especially for those in the market for a household's second car – but the car's 50kW maximum charging speed (upgraded from 40kW in mid-2022) is no longer competitive with rivals, most of which can manage at least 100kW or 150kW these days. 

Mazda is set to launch a range-extender version of the MX-30 in 2023. It will use a rotary engine as a generator to top-up the car's battery while you're on the move, meaning it's used solely to recharge the MX-30’s battery, rather than drive the wheels. The MX-30 R-EX will be able to go much further between pit-stops, but to date Mazda hasn't confirmed exactly how far it can go before the battery and fuel tank run dry.

Mazda MX-30 range

The MX-30's smaller-than-average 35.5kWh battery means a shorter-than-average maximum range of 124 miles – or 165 around town, according to Mazda. The standard figure is less than you get from the Honda e (131-137 miles), and considerably range than the ORA Funky Cat (193 miles) or Peugeot e-208 (225 miles) offers 

And in real-world driving, we've found you'll be lucky to achieve 100 miles in typical UK weather conditions, making the Mazda strictly an urban commuter or suburban errand-runner, rather than a realistic long-distance vehicle.

Charging time

One of the benefits of a small battery is quick charging: the MX-30 can achieve an 80% top-up from a 50kW public rapid charger in little under half an hour, which is great news for those using their cars around town or on longer trips with brief service-station stops.

Even drawing power from a home wallbox, the Mazda will be fully juiced in less than six hours, so it'll be easy to get your charging done within the window for off-peak electricity. If you're caught short, the MX-30 will take 15 hours to charge using a three-pin cable plugged into a regular domestic socket.