Japanese car maker Mazda is making plans to import its first all-electric vehicle, the MX-30 crossover, into Australia.
In Monday, documents published by the government road vehicle certification unit indicate that Mazda has gained approval for the vehicle.
The MX-30, which was first unveiled by Mazda at the 2019 Tokyo Motor Show, is based on the car maker’s CX-30, and is its first mass-volume electric vehicle.
Slated to be released in fellow right-hand drive market, the UK, in early 2021, the documents clearly signify that Mazda  also has Australia in its crosshairs.
A spokesperson for Mazda Australia confirmed in a note to The Driven that the MX-30 is currently under evaluation for the Australian market and that Mazda “will have a decision to share before the end of 2020.”
“Should the vehicle be confirmed, you can expect the vehicle to arrive in Australia at some point from the middle of 2021,” the spokesperson said.
With around 200km driving range and a 35.5kWh battery, the MX-30 is expected to be priced from $55,000-60,000 and would sit below the upcoming MG ZS EV and Mini Cooper SE in terms of electric driving specs, but with interior stylings that include low-impact, sustainable materials such as cork and natural fibres, Mazda no doubt hopes it will appeal to the eco-conscious crowd.
The MX-30 also features some quirky details such as “freestyle” doors that we’ve seen before on the BMW i3, to optimise space, and likely also component costs and weight (although we must note the Cooper SE gets more range out of a smaller battery than the MX-30 so the jury is out on exactly what Mazda has achieved here).
In terms of safety, the MX-30 (if equipped with the overseas specs) would come with smart brake support and lane assist, while Mazda says that despite the freestyle doors and lack of centre pillar, the MX-30’s rigid structure efficiently absorbs crash energy.
Fast charging is available with a CCS2 charging plug while a top charging rate of 6.6kW is available for AC charging at home or the office (depending on available chargers of course).
Design-wise, the MX-30 embraces Mazda’s “modern human” kodo design thinking, which seeks to “express daily joy with cars”.
Bridie Schmidt is associate editor for The Driven, sister site of Renew Economy. She has been writing about electric vehicles since 2018, and has a keen interest in the role that zero-emissions transport has to play in sustainability. She has participated in podcasts such as Download This Show with Marc Fennell and Shirtloads of Science with Karl Kruszelnicki and is co-organiser of the Northern Rivers Electric Vehicle Forum. Bridie also owns a Tesla Model Y and has it available for hire on evee.com.au.