NEXT STAGE: New in 2024?

Mazda's MX-30 e-Skyactiv R-EV is not off the table for the U.S., despite press reports to the contrary, according to Jeff Guyton, the Japanese automaker's North American CEO.
The plug-in variant of the electric subcompact crossover, which revives Mazda Motor Corp.'s gasoline rotary engine as a power generator, will roll out in Europe and Japan while the U.S. focuses on its launch of the three-row CX-90.
The MX-30 e-Skyactiv R-EV is part of Mazda's promise to resurrect its rotary engine after retiring the technology in 2012 when the RX-8 sports car was dropped. Mazda has said that rotary engines are a key part of its electrification strategy because they can be easily combined with other components such as generators, batteries and fuel tanks, creating multiple powertrain options for the same vehicle.
The MX-30 R-EV uses a 17.8-kilowatt-hour battery, and — thanks to the rotary range extender — offers a competitive 53 miles of all-electric range. But the small body of the crossover prevents it from being an easy decision for the U.S. where consumers favor higher-riding SUVs and crossovers.