Mazda MX-30 BEV Outsold Chevy Bolt EUV, Nissan Ariya, Kia EV6, Subaru Soltera, and Toyota b4ZX In January

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Mazda’s MX-30 is being delivered to American consumers right now. Many much-hyped battery-electric crossovers from brands like GM, Toyota, Subaru, Kia, and Nissan are not.

As the American automotive market enters the new year, all hopes are that 2022 will be the year that some long-hoped-for new battery-electric vehicle (BEV) crossovers will finally arrive. Kia, Toyota, Subaru, Nissan, and Chevrolet, along with the fawning EVangelist press, have all been hyping the latest and greatest green vehicles for years now. And rightly so. Each looks to be a fantastic new addition to their brands' lineups at some future point. When they finally arrive, the Soltera, EV6, b4ZX, and Ariya may all be amazing. When (if) Chevrolet can resume building the Bolt EUV we know it will be fantastic.

Related Story: 5 Reasons Mazda Is the Brand To Watch In 2022

We drove the Chevrolet Bolt EUV at a media event last summer, and it remains one of our overall favorite vehicles. However, as much as we’d like to sing these vehicles’ praises in more detail, none of them were sold to consumers this past month of January. Yet, Mazda did deliver a battery-electric vehicle crossover to consumers. Where is the applause?

Imaginary EVs Always Get the Most Press
The Mazda MX-30 is a vehicle with many positive attributes. Yet, the problem for many journalists is that it’s here. You see, with EVs, it’s always the next thing coming that earns the spotlight. Mazda’s MX-30 BEV outsold the Cybertruck in January. And the MX-30 BEV outsold the Ford F-150 Lightning. But you didn’t see any splashy reports on the MX-30. The reason is that it’s easy to pick apart a vehicle on the market you can buy today, and very hard to find flaws in a vehicle that isn't for sale. Some publications are reporting Cybertruck updates as if the vehicle actually existed to be updated. Others are arguing which imaginary EV never sold to consumers is “best.”

Pre-Orders vs. Deliveries
If you count pre-orders, the list above is wildly more successful than the Mazda MX-30. But no owners drove home a new Bolt EUV in January. No children were dropped at school in a new Subaru Soltera. No zero-emissions commutes were made on Los Angeles freeways in a Kia EV6. The Nissan Ariya didn’t take any families skiing. The Toyota bZ4X didn’t drive a newborn home from the hospital in January.

Mazda’s MX-30 Deliveries
Mazda delivered 33 MX-30 battery-electric vehicles to new owners in California in January. Surprised? It was the company’s second-quarter and second calendar year of deliveries. These 33 units were more than the combined deliveries in January of all of the Chevy Bolt EUV, Nissan Ariya, Kia EV6, Subaru Soltera, and Toyota b4ZX in America. Now into February, and with March looming, it looks as if Mazda will continue that lead, and possibly stretch it to span three consecutive sales quarters.

Tell us in the comments below which of the new BEV crossovers never sold is better than the Mazda MX-30 and why you think so. Since we may have never driven one or seen a final production version in person, your input will help us to know what we have to look forward to.

Image of production Mazda MX-30 in his driveway by John Goreham.

John Goreham is a long-time New England Motor Press Association member and recovering engineer. John's interest in EVs goes back to 1990 when he designed the thermal control system for an EV battery as part of an academic team. After earning his mechanical engineering degree, John completed a marketing program at Northeastern University and worked with automotive component manufacturers, in the semiconductor industry, and in biotech. In addition to Torque News, John's work has appeared in print in dozens of American news outlets and he provides reviews to many vehicle shopping sites. You can follow John on TikTok @ToknCars, on Twitter, and view his credentials at Linkedin

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Submitted by bob E (not verified) on February 2, 2022 - 12:45PM

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The MX-30 is vaporware in Texas. Consequently, Nissan Leaf sales absolutely *crushed* MX-30 sales in Texas in January.

True, Bob E. Like almost every automotive manufacturer does with almost every BEV model, Mazda is starting its MX-30 sales within the California market. Yes, Nissan sells a couple of hundred Leafs per month in states outside of California. It's a great car, and arguably the best BEV affordable BEV on sale today. Sadly, the Leaf is selling below its all-time high and never managed to break out of the under 2,500 per month in America grouping many EVs get stuck in. Latest news on the Ariya that was "revealed" in 2020 is that its production won't start until late fall of this year. Bob, BTW, I'm not from Texas but is my understanding that you can't buy one from a Tesla retailer in the state. Is that true?

Submitted by DeanMcManis (not verified) on February 3, 2022 - 4:16PM

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33 EVs sold can only be considered positive when you are comparing to the sales of EVs that are not yet available to buy. So it's a very hollow victory. The MX30 is really a compliance car. Hopefully one of the last that we will see. Mazda of course has many talented engineers, but having a new EV with a maximum range of 100 miles is kind of a joke in 2022. The now discontinued Honda Clarity BEV was also a compliance car, and had a similarly unacceptable 89 miles of range. Which would have been acceptable Ten years ago, but not today. For about the same price as the MX-30 I will hopefully be able to buy an Aptera later this year, with 400 miles of range, solar power assist (40mi/day), and 0-60 in 3.5 sec. Sure the MX-30 and Aptera are not practically competitors (especially not being available to buy today) but for my commuting needs I don't want a 5-passenger EV crossover.

Submitted by Chris V (not verified) on February 4, 2022 - 10:04PM

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How can you lump the Solterra in here as being outsold? Subaru hasn't even started accepting customer reservations yet. I may be wrong, but I believe the same is true of the b4ZX. Rather misleading, don't you think?

Thanks, Chris V, I'm glad you asked this question. Subaru's Soltera first appeared in images about 13 months ago. Subaru Formally announced the new vehicle in May of 2021. Subaru's media center where publications get official info and images says that the Soltera was "Debuted" in November of 2021. There are now media videos reviewing the Soltera on Youtube. Not speculation videos, they actually have the car. Redline Reviews, Alex on Autos, Edmunds, and many others have done reviews of this great new (never sold) car. Prior to this story, Subaru had a sales page on its website with a "Build and Price" configurator. Since Subaru has been promoting the Soltera for over a year, isn't it fair that we start to ask, "How many have Subaru delivered to consumers?" We're not picking on Subaru. It's the brand I own personally and the brand I have owned the most vehicles from. All of the great new battery-electric crossovers nobody owns are included in this story. We compare them to the BEV that has the lowest sales (deliveries) in the segment, the Mazda MX-30. Which outsells them all combined.