The Mazda MX-30 was launched in 2020 as a car for city and urban commuters who will not use it as their primary car. With that in mind, Mazda gave the compact crossover a 35.5-kilowatt-hour, resulting in a relatively short range of 200 km (124 miles) between charges.
A short test done last month in and around Milan confirmed that the MX-30's short range is the EV's drawback. Despite nearly ideal weather conditions (20 to 25 degrees centigrade, meaning on moderate use of the air conditioner, the MX-30's battery level at 100 percent promised a range of 170 km, according to the car dashboard. The difference between the promised and real-world range is a common issue with all electric cars.
When I saw that figure 170 km I decided to cancel a plan 180 km round trip to visit a friend in the outside Milan because he doesn't have a wallbox charger and the public charging alternatives were poor. Waiting for a charge using my friend's household socket, which provides 1.8 kW/hour, to get enough juice to get home made no sense.
The MX-30's 200 km range, according to WLTP, is not only less than the rivals in the compact segment but also competitors in smaller vehicle classes. For instance, the Hyundai Kona Electric small SUV, has a range of 305 km from its 39.2-kWh battery.