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Mazda MX-30 Sales Discontinued After Only Two Model Years

Mazda is pulling the plug on the subcompact MX-30 electric SUV

2022 Mazda MX-30 front three-quarters
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    Nick Kurczewski has been writing about cars for more than 20 years, and his enthusiasm for journalism has led him to cover auto-related stories around the world. From blasting down the German autobahn to covering every major auto show, his stories have appeared in the New York Times, Car and Driver, U.S. News & World Report, Kelley Blue Book, Cars.com and the New York Daily News, where he served as head editor. Having once aspired to be a Formula One racer, Nick discovered sharing his passion for cars as a journalist is just as thrilling as dreaming of pole position at the Monaco Grand Prix.
  • Mazda announced it will soon halt production of the MX-30 electric SUV.
  • MX-30 sales began with the 2022 model year, though it has only ever been officially sold in California.
  • An EPA-estimated driving range of only 100 miles and lethargic acceleration made the MX-30 a tough sell.

About the only thing shorter than the driving range of the Mazda MX-30 electric SUV was the press release announcing sales would end following the 2023 model year. A total of 57 words was all it took for Mazda to state it would soon be, ahem, pulling the plug on its first fully electric vehicle sold in the U.S. Mazda succinctly stated the Japanese automaker will instead focus on "large platform PHEVs [plug-in hybrids], such as the first-ever 2024 CX-90 PHEV and upcoming CX-70 PHEV, as well as introducing CX-50 Hybrid into our lineup ..."

The news doesn't come as a complete shock — sorry, the puns will stop — when you consider Mazda sold all of 28 MX-30s in July of this year. Yes, that's correct, 28 in total. It doesn't help that since its introduction just last year, the MX-30 has been a strictly California-only sales proposition. Sure, you could buy one and cross state lines, though you'd better live fairly close to the border. That's because the MX-30 has a ridiculously low driving range of 100 miles, according to the EPA (though we eked out 114 miles on our real-life EV range test).

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Mazda MX-30 rear three-quarters

That's about 150 miles less than what you get in a Chevrolet Bolt EUV, Ford Mustang Mach-E, Hyundai Kona Electric, and your 6-year-old cousin's bright pink RC toy car. OK, that last one might be a slight exaggeration. One curious positive is that, because its battery is so small, charging the MX-30 to 80% using a Level 2 station requires less than three hours.

The real point here is that the MX-30 always felt something like a stepping stone, albeit one that was out of step with the EV marketplace. As one of the last of the mainstream brands to dabble its toes into EV sales, Mazda's first effort will be remembered as a quirky rarity that could eventually be an underground star at classic car shows in, say, 30 years' time.

Was it all bad? Nope! Once we brought the car in for testing, we actually found a lot to like: The MX-30 has sharp steering, a classy cabin design and a surprisingly roomy cargo area. We even dug its atypical exterior; the rear doors are hinged at the back, which makes accessing the rear seats easier (at least in theory).

Mazda MX-30 overhead with doors open

To open them, however, you need to open the adjoining front door first. This then creates a handy clamshell-like opening when there's either acres of space (if you can swing the doors all the way open), or a Mazda-like jail if you're in a tight parking spot. Mazda tried this before on the last-generation RX-8 sports car, and they were silly then too.

Powering the MX-30 is a 143-horsepower electric motor that sends power to the front wheels. All-wheel drive is not on the options sheet. Our test MX-30 took a leisurely 9 seconds to accelerate from 0 to 60 mph, though thankfully it felt peppier from behind the wheel.

Edmunds says

Farewell, Mazda MX-30, we hardly knew you. Then again, the pros of this electric SUV didn't come anywhere close to making up for cons like paltry driving range, poor rear legroom, and being a one-state-only sales proposition.

Nick Kurczewskiby

Nick Kurczewski has been writing about cars for more than 20 years, and his enthusiasm for journalism has led him to cover auto-related stories around the world. From blasting down the German autobahn to covering every major auto show, his stories have appeared in the New York Times, Car and Driver, U.S. News & World Report, Kelley Blue Book, Cars.com and the New York Daily News, where he served as head editor. Having once aspired to be a Formula One racer, Nick discovered sharing his passion for cars as a journalist is just as thrilling as dreaming of pole position at the Monaco Grand Prix.

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