During a technology preview in Japan, Hitomi said to Automotive News that a rotary engine is ideal as a range extender because it's small, powerful and doesn't generate much vibration. Mazda's first EV is expected to hit the market alongside a hybrid in 2019. Akira Kyomen, program manager for vehicle development, revealed that there will be two variants of the EV, pure electric and one with a range extender. Japan, Europe and China will be the key target markets for the pure EV as Mazda believes these type of vehicles can get by with less range. In North America, on the other hand, the range extender is a necessity because consumer have longer daily drives, according to Kyomen. Along with the two-model strategy for its EV, Mazda has developed a new vehicle platform that will also debut in 2019 and it's been engineered with EV and hybrid powertrains in mid.