Mazda has announced they are developing a Demio / Mazda2 electric vehicle for Japan.
Created as part of the company's "Building Block Strategy," the EV will be launched in the spring 2012 and have a range of approximately 200 km (124 miles). Despite being aimed primarily at governments and fleet owners, retail customers will also be able to lease the vehicle.
Over the course of the program, Mazda will gather feedback to learn more about usage requirements and consumer acceptance of electric drive technology.

 

i just got done reading this

there was a company in Australia retrofitting Mazda 2s into EV awhile ago. They even started taking them to Europe

http://green.autoblog.com/2009/06/18...ept-to-europe/

http://www.evme.com.au/design/evme-subcompact/


Mazda must have seen enough of what they were doing to decide it was a good idea for themselves

an electric Mazda 2 would be a good offset for a new rotary car under CAFE

 

Maybe now Mazda will balance out the environmental benefits created by the Demio with a turbocharged rotary))

 

they have created the "EV R&D section" a year ago ....more or less. this is the job of the section....

i'm more excited for the restyled Demio (Japan is currently the only market with original Demio-not restyled- into lineup) with SKY engine under the hood. the car is scheduled for March or April only for JDM.

 

The problem is, the article says this will be available in Japan only.

 

what a horrible article in the Times blog

http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/2011...up-e-v-intent/

 

what's wrong Charlie..?

this article is probably written by a Prius owner

an expert of modern automotive......

 

They should do an electric or Hybrid Mazda 5 next. It would sell like hotcakes here. the 5 already has the best MPG of a 6 seater in the states. really extending that and getting that buzz from the media would make it a star. We'd trade our current 5 for one

I hear Ford is going to do an electric/hybrid Cmax but it only seats 5 in the US configuratuion http://content.usatoday.com/communit...rid-for-2012/1

 

you have also a 5 ,zoom.? Nice car, handlin is best in class at least here in EU..... i've seen the new one last week, dont' like the rear end, too JDM....

 

yeah we have a 5. I first rented one a few years ago when I went on vacation to Georgia- Gave Paul and Rick Engman a ride to lunch in it even We really liked it on that trip so got rid of the Subie wagon we had at the time and picked up a 5.

Really nice car. Doesnt ride like a van at all. Very close to a Mazda 3 in terms of driving feel, even though its a bit taller obviously.

I also prefer the vertical tail lights of the model we have to the horizontal tails of the new version but it does give the new one a cleaner "greenhouse " line

 

I too have a 5 just like the red one above. My Wife loves it and the handling. We get 22mpg city and took one trip and saw 31mpg.

 

ours is red too old rotor

 

and we both have 2004 sunlight silver , touring package....hmmmm

 

great minds

 

Bump.
I was just looking for the latest R&T articles on rotaries when I came across this Demio EV.

Single rotor 30 HP auxiliary engine.
I had never heard of it, I thought maybe others haven't either.
I thought it was interesting.