CX-90 PHEV Range

In Canada the preliminary range provided by Mazda is 42km (26 miles). I noticed that the combined fuel economy, when only running on the 2.5L engine, is the same as the inline-6.


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Nice, that's more than I was expecting, and would likely cover my daily commute to and from work, even in the winter. Makes it easier to sell the upgrade to my wife :LOL:
 
It is official, the numbers are now up on the NRCan fuel consumption rating site. Though not totally unexpected, it is still a bit disappointing to me, the energy efficiency and CO2 emissions are considerably worse than that of 3-row Kia Sorento PHEV and latest Outlander PHEV.

I couldn’t find the numbers on the linked site, but i don’t really consider the outlander and sorento in the same vehicle class of the cx-90 in terms of size, even if they do have 3 rows.

Also the amount of horsepower available (especially when related to engine size) as a considerable impact on the energy efficiency and CO2 emission rating. The CX-90 is bigger and has a bigger engine than those two, with the associated higher hp, torque value and towing rating. The outlander and sorento vs the cx-90 is not really an apple to apple comparison.
 
In this review video, he shows the battery level at 13:14 in. That shows 27mile range with 95% battery capacity. He estimated it at 30miles on full. So that's definitely doable.

Mazda CX-90 Review
 
In my first week with a CX-90 PHEV, I have gotten about 30 miles of of pure EV mode in two cycles. The dash tells me to expect 21-24 and the dealer said to expect 26. I guess it will vary based on speed and acceleration needed. I used it on a non-highway commute, under 50 mph, so that might explain the longer range I have seen. I could likely baby it and get 30+.
 
In Canada the preliminary range provided by Mazda is 42km (26 miles). I noticed that the combined fuel economy, when only running on the 2.5L engine, is the same as the inline-6.


9420538_original.jpg
I would wait to hear real Canadian figures after a bad winter. Battery capacity will go down considerably in winter. It takes 11 hours to fully charge using 110 volts.
 
Winter will definitely affect the range, i would expect half the range at -25C, but it shouldn’t have permanent effect on the battery (i.e. the range will be back in the summer).

Also, i am not sure if the CX-90 PHEV have an electric heater for the cabin, if not there may be a point where the engine must be running to have the heater going.
 
The PHEV owner's manual suggests using the heated seat and steering wheel when driving in cold weather to extend range of EV mode. It also suggests turning on climate control to a comfortable temperature with charge connector connected before driving. I don't know how practical it is. For me, it's a non issue since I work from home and I drive less in the winter anyway. I could probably still go to the local stores on EV mode and switch to normal mode when needed.
 
In Canada the preliminary range provided by Mazda is 42km (26 miles). I noticed that the combined fuel economy, when only running on the 2.5L engine, is the same as the inline-6.


9420538_original.jpg
Why not buy the Toyota Highlander EV or Lexus EV? It is a much safer bet than CX90, although you do get more options with Mazda but useless resale value compared to Toyota. Plus safety in numbers with Toyota . The EV market is rapidly changing and prices are going to FALL FAST. China by December 2023 will have a total of 80 EV models on sale! Yes!
I just got back from Thailand, where a cx5 look alike EV fully loaded for$27,000 Canadian$. If any one pays $65k+ cdn for an EV, then in 2 years the market will be saturated with cheaper EV's. The savings and maths just does not work for cold climate owners. Tesla's handbook says, if temp drops below 5 degrees, take car to warmer zone! Really.
It cost electricity money to keep a EV plugged in to keep warm all winter nights, so not sure if there is any saving or respectable resale value in cold regions of Canada. My neighbour's Tesla's cooling fan is constantly running all day to keep car battery cool whilst the car is parked outside on driveway. Soon a new cooling fan will be required not to mention all the electricity used to cool car whilst parked on driveway all day every day for the entire summer. If I wanted to save money I would buy a Honda Civic and pocket the change. And I would have no trouble selling it 5 years later.
 
I live in Northern Ontario where it gets quite cold. I still see Tesla being driven here in the winter. So, I wouldn't say they need to be taken to warmer climate. Personally I wouldn't buy a Tesla. I had my heart set on waiting for the VW ID.Buzz which I think is really cool. I also considered Ioniq 5. Saving money is good, but at this point in my life, it's not a major deciding factor. I would absolutely get an EV if I'm only driving it within less than 300 km around where I live. The challenge is when I need to drive to Toronto and there is absolutely no charging station for a good stretch of about 300+ km (until Parry Sound). That is not going to work for me. After much consideration, I determined that PHEV is the next best thing. I'd buy the RAV4 PHEV but it's too small for what we need. You can debate until the cows come home. The bottom line is what do I really like. CX-90 PHEV fits the bill. It doesn't matter to me if there is a better PHEV out there. "Better" is based on opinions anyway.
 
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I live in Northern Ontario where it gets quite cold. I still see Tesla being driven here in the winter. So, I wouldn't say they need to be taken to warmer climate. Personally I wouldn't buy a Tesla. I had my heart set on waiting for the VW ID.Buzz which I think is really cool. I also considered Ioniq 5. Saving money is good, but at this point in my life, it's not a major deciding factor. I would absolutely get an EV if I'm only driving it within less than 300 km around where I live. The challenge is when I need to drive to Toronto and there is absolutely no charging station for a good stretch of about 300+ km (until Parry Sound). That is not going to work for me. After much consideration, I determined that PHEV is the next best thing. I'd buy the RAV4 PHEV but it's too small for what we need. You can debate until the cows come home. The bottom line is what do I really like. CX-90 PHEV fits the bill. It doesn't matter to me if there is a better PHEV out there. "Better" is based on opinions anyway.
A conscious decision is the best thing. Enjoy your PHEV. It is a tempting auto, once I sat in it, but I just could not justify it in Southern Ontario, as one of my neighbours regularly calls Tesla to startup his car in winter cold days after parking outside and not plugged in. And starting it up for them has never been that easy, trust me, I have watched the service tech.
 
I don’t think there is such a thing as a Toyota higlander EV.

There isn’t really a 7 passenger EV on the market, altough there is one from Kia coming out soon. I think the only other 7 seat plug in on the market currently is the Kia Sorento PHEV, but that is a fair bit smaller than the CX-9.

To comment on Zoom2 point about battery Tesla being driven in Northern Ontario. He is correct that they don’t need to be taken to warmer climate. They definitely work but will have a lot less range. It is just that they have such a large battery that even with half the range, they can still be used for most daily driving.

As long as tou have plenty of extra range compared to your regular commute you would be fine. There was a news article last winter in Quebec about how users felt deceived because in the middle of winter their electric vehicles didn’t have enough range to make it to work and return. But they had like close to 100km commute to drive to montreal. The other problem is also that most people start work early which is the coldest time period of the day.

The same applies to high temperature as well. I had a fusion hybrid rental in Hawaii, but could never have the engine off because when it did i wouldn’t have air conditioning and would start baking in the car.

I am not criticizing the technology, just that these are things to be aware and consider. They are not for everyone, but like Zoom2 a CX-90 PHEV would work well for me and my 30 km return commute, and with the EV incentives i can get a better equipped model for the same price equivalent inline 6
 
A conscious decision is the best thing. Enjoy your PHEV. It is a tempting auto, once I sat in it, but I just could not justify it in Southern Ontario, as one of my neighbours regularly calls Tesla to startup his car in winter cold days after parking outside and not plugged in. And starting it up for them has never been that easy, trust me, I have watched the service tech.

The starting would not be a problem with the PHEV, it has a gas engine. You could run it all the time without ever plugging it in if you wanted.
 
I don’t think there is such a thing as a Toyota higlander EV.

There isn’t really a 7 passenger EV on the market, altough there is one from Kia coming out soon. I think the only other 7 seat plug in on the market currently is the Kia Sorento PHEV, but that is a fair bit smaller than the CX-9.

To comment on Zoom2 point about battery Tesla being driven in Northern Ontario. He is correct that they don’t need to be taken to warmer climate. They definitely work but will have a lot less range. It is just that they have such a large battery that even with half the range, they can still be used for most daily driving.

As long as tou have plenty of extra range compared to your regular commute you would be fine. There was a news article last winter in Quebec about how users felt deceived because in the middle of winter their electric vehicles didn’t have enough range to make it to work and return. But they had like close to 100km commute to drive to montreal. The other problem is also that most people start work early which is the coldest time period of the day.

The same applies to high temperature as well. I had a fusion hybrid rental in Hawaii, but could never have the engine off because when it did i wouldn’t have air conditioning and would start baking in the car.

I am not criticizing the technology, just that these are things to be aware and consider. They are not for everyone, but like Zoom2 a CX-90 PHEV would work well for me and my 30 km return commute, and with the EV incentives i can get a better equipped model for the same price equivalent inline 6
Correction, I should have said Toyota Highlander Hybrid, not EV. At the end of the day, its the $ savings one is looking at, regardless of what's under the bonnet.
 
This is the same debate about are PHEV vs hybrid, which is better.

If we take driving dynamics out and all the other factors of the question, then highlander hybrid for better fuel economy on long distance trip. CX-9 PHEV if you can make lots of regular short commute on electric only.

That is true for comparing pretty much any PHEV vs hybrids. They both have a different use case that is advantageous to them.
 
Correction, I should have said Toyota Highlander Hybrid, not EV. At the end of the day, its the $ savings one is looking at, regardless of what's under the bonnet.
Well, subjectively I don't think the Highlander is that attractive. Recall, lots of people buy based on emotion and the art of the vehicle. Example, Toyota technology mis great but the styling can be boring in my opinion. I love the CX-90 which has great style and rides better than a Toyota. I looked at the Toyota Venza and it's just boring as all hell.
 
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