The 2022 Mazda MX-30 is Mazda’s first electric SUV, and to say that it leaves something to be desired is an understatement. While the MX-30 may be as stylish and versatile as the CX-30 that it’s based on, its range is seriously short. In fact, the 2022 Mazda MX-30 range is so poor that even Mazda says that you shouldn’t buy it unless you have another vehicle for longer trips. So just how bad is the MX-30 range, and is it worth buying – even if you have a second car?

What is the range of the 2022 Mazda MX-30?

The 2022 Mazda MX-30 range is just 100 miles on a single charge, according to Electrekhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLS1cZOqHsA. That’s abysmally low, and the charging time doesn’t exactly make up for it. It takes 36 minutes to get to 80% on a Level 3 charger, but 2 hours and 50 minutes on a Level 2. If you do even a moderate amount of driving, this isn’t going to be enough. 100 miles would be ideal if you’re perhaps dropping your kids off at school, or you work from home and only need to go to the grocery store. Yet you may not even be able to go to an away soccer game or visit your in-laws with just 100 miles (although perhaps this would make it a selling point for some people). The MX-30’s range is certainly one of its primary weaknesses, and Mazda knows it.

While many car manufacturers have been manufacturing and producing large number of electric vehicles for sale in the United States, Mazda has only earmarked 560 MX-30s for the United State – and they’re all for California. Because California mandates that car manufacturers sell electric vehicles, it’s thought that the purpose of the MX-30 is to fill that void, and not so much to be a solid electric SUV.

Mazda suggests that you have a second car if you buy the MX-30

When a car manufacturer tells you that you’ll need a second car if you buy the MX-30, you know that what they’re offering is – well, not substantial. Yet that’s exactly what a Mazda representative said. Mazda’s national manager, Mark Peyman, told Automotive News Canada that, “We come to market with a vehicle like the MX-30 that has a smaller battery, a smaller footprint environmentally and still meets the range needs of 80 per cent-plus of the consumers that will probably use this.”

It’s an interesting take, to assume that people will buy the Mazda MX-30 with a backup plan in place. In general, people buy a vehicle with the idea that they’ll be able to drive it pretty regularly, and although it may not always meet every need you could have, a second car is generally not a requirement for buying a first car. Yet Peyman insists that, “We’ve found through research that many of these individuals have additional cars in their households that are for longer range.”

How much does the MX-30 cost?

The 2022 Mazda MX-30 starts at $34,645. This only adds to the confusion behind the MX-30’s poor range. If it was an economy car, one might be able to forgive the small range. It would be an introductory electric vehicle meant for short trips. The Chevy Bolt EUV is cheaper, at a price of $33,000. Yet its range is more than double that of the Mazda MX-30, at 247 miles on a single charge.  And the 2022 Mazda MX-30 costs just $5,000 less than the 2021 Tesla Model 3, but the Model 3 gets 262 miles of range on a single charge. That’s a pretty big difference.

Still, the 2022 Mazda MX-30 has a comfortable and stylish interior similar to the Mazda CX-30. It comes with white and gray seats, though you can upgrade for darker seats. The exterior of the two SUVs is different, with the MX-30 having a smaller grille and body-colored doors. The MX-30 also has a power moonroof, leather steering wheel, and heated front seats. They’re equipped with the latest technology; you can use both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto in your MX-30. 

The 2021 Mazda MX-30 range is pretty terrible, and although Mazda seems unconcerned about it, it doesn’t bode well for the MX-30’s sales. Yet with Mazda only producing 560 electric SUVs, and for California only, it seems doubtful that they truly anticipate the Mazda MX-30 to sell well anyway.