Well, there is good and bad news about the 2023 Mazda MX-30 EV. The good news is the automaker has the most monthly sales of MX-30s in January, since June of 2022. The bad news is that the number sold is nine. Yes, only nine of the EVs found buyers last month. Last January, it sold 33, so its numbers are down almost 75%. 

How many Mazda MX-30 EVs sold last year?

In all, Mazda sold almost 23,000 vehicles in January. Selling nine of one model is almost a rounding error. So you’ll understand why we wonder what Mazda is doing in the EV arena. Also last month, the MX-30 got favorable press when Mazda said you can order one with a rotary engine range extender. 

So many are now more aware of Mazda’s only EV since its introduction in 2021. Nobody knew what Mazda was doing in 2022 when it stopped making MX-30s in June. For all of 2022, Mazda saw sales of 324 units for the EV. 

Why isn’t the Mazda MX-30 selling?

There are three main reasons for the minuscule numbers. First, the MX-30 is only available in California. Second, it has a very limited range of only 100 miles. And finally, it is an expensive proposition for an EV able to only go 100 miles. 

The MSRP is $34,110, plus the $1,275 destination charge. Factoring in the $7,500 federal tax credit, that number is reduced to $26,610. Except, it isn’t. Because of the Inflation Reduction Act, which stipulates a U.S.-made battery and other requirements, the MX-30 doesn’t qualify. That is a problem going forward unless it can somehow lower the EV’s price.

Why does Mazda think range doesn’t matter?

But Mazda U.S. president and CEO Jeffery Guyton, says that long-range EVs are not sustainable. He told Green Car Reports few owners will use their EVs needing that much range. Fully aware of range anxiety, he thinks once people purchase an EV and drive it for a time, they’ll realize they don’t need 300 miles of range. 

But that’s a big ask. And it’s a hurdle established decades ago. Cars are supposed to have lots of range and access to gasoline, to the extent that drivers are assured they won’t ever run out of fuel. So it is unreasonable to suggest someone buy an EV and not have the same expectations for it as one would a gas-powered vehicle. 

Is Mazda right or wrong?

However, that is the theory Mazda stands firmly behind. So far, it is the only automaker seeing things that way. When most other EVs offer 300 miles of range, with some even hitting over 500 miles, the market in general, and expectations, are for far more range than 100 miles. 

But keep in mind that with the elements needed for battery production, and the added weight of high-range EVs like the Hummer, there is a downside to long-range capabilities. With more (many more) charging stations built, and quicker charging times, we may get to the point where we won’t be concerned about range. 

But in 2023, and with those circumstances years away, the Mazda MX-30 has a long way to go to become something more than a speck on the EV horizon.