The left-of-centre Mazda MX-30 Electric was always intended to be a niche offering, according to the company, more about getting the technology into the hands of local customers than racking up volume.
A Mazda Australia spokesperson said that ordering for the MX-30 Electric is still continuing but it won’t be doing more batch orders. Instead, it will be ordering to meet customer demand.
The company initially brought in 100 examples of the MX-30 Electric, which means it was never going to contend with sales chart-topping electric vehicles (EVs) like the Tesla Model Y and Model 3.
“When we brought [the MX-30 Electric] in, we always said it was going to be niche. We said we’d bring in 100. We’ve done that and we’ve learnt a lot,” Mazda Australia marketing director Alastair Doak told CarExpert.
“We’ve trained all our dealers on all of the technical aspects of electrification. They’ve also committed to installing some infrastructure at their dealerships to be able to do that.”
“The good thing about that was, one in anticipation of EV, but beyond that of plug-in hybrid (PHEV),” added Mr Doak.
“All of that work is relevant to PHEV and obviously we’re getting our first PHEV next year in CX-60, which won’t be a niche product.”
Mr Doak said he understands criticism of the modest 224km claimed combined driving range.
“As an execution of taking the Mazda idea of how a car should drive and turning it it and applying it to a totally different powertrain, I think the guys [and girls] have done a really good job,” said Mr Doak.
The Mazda MX-30 Electric was first revealed in 2018 and launched in Australia in mid-2021, joining the petrol-powered M Hybrid model.
It’s priced from $65,490 before on-road costs and is currently only available locally in range-topping Astina guise.
The MX-30 Electric is powered by a single, front-mounted electric motor producing 107kW of power and 271Nm of torque, mated with a 35.5kWh lithium-ion battery pack.
Boasting Freestyle Doors and an eco-friendly interior, the MX-30 Electric is a rival to the likes of the Hyundai Kona Electric and Nissan Leaf.
A rotary range-extender version of the MX-30 is still in the works for a potential reveal in 2023, but it’s unclear if it’ll come here.
MORE: Everything Mazda MX-30
