
TOKYO -- Mazda Motor plans to release electric vehicles equipped with range-extending rotary engines in the U.S. and Europe in 2019, bringing back a signature technology as it responds to tougher environmental rules in key auto markets.
A gas-fueled rotary engine can generate power to run the motor in an electric vehicle, letting automakers get by with a smaller battery or increasing the distance the car can travel. Mazda in 2013 equipped a prototype electric car with a rotary engine that doubled its range compared with a standard electric compact. BMW offers a similar gas-fueled range extender for its i3.