Proton's EV foray will pit carmaker against Tesla and Chinese brands

Proton's first electric vehicle is expected to go on sale in December, as Malaysia's national carmaker takes the fight for market share to Tesla and Chinese brands including BYD.

- Hazlin Hassan

The e.MAS 7 has a sleek design with body contours similar to that of the BYD Atto 3, a 150kW compact electric crossover, but is expected to have a smaller price tag.

It could cost around RM100,000 (S$30,150), according to industry observers.

The Atto 3 is sold at around RM149,800, while Tesla's cheapest EV in Malaysia, the 208kW Model 3, is priced from RM181,000.

"Our goal with the Proton e.MAS 7 is to fulfil our promise of delivering Malaysia's first national allelectric vehicle," Proton CEO Li Chunrong said at a media preview of the EV on Aug 2.

Malaysia's EV market is still at a nascent stage. The higher price points of these electric vehicles and concerns about the lack of charging stations outside major cities are deterrents for buyers.

In the first six months of 2024, a total of 12,850 EVs were sold in the country, a 150 per cent surge from the same period in 2023. But that is just 3.3 per cent of the 390,269 total vehicle sales in that period.

Malaysia has a target of having EVs, including hybrids, account for 15 per cent of the total industry volume by 2030.

Like most other markets, Malaysia's EV market is being flooded with EVs from China. Apart from BYD, those that have entered in the last few years include Chery, Great Wall Motor and MG.

Proton's e.MAS 7, after it is launched, will not only be facing off against foreign EV models but also against one from Perodua, the second Malaysian national carmaker, in the near future.

Perodua's model, reportedly named the eMO-1, is slated to be launched at the end of 2025, with an expected price tag of between RM50,000 and RM100,000.

In fact, Proton's main rival is not any of the foreign car brands, but Perodua.

Proton sold 150,975 vehicles locally in 2023, out of nearly 800,000 cars in total, compared with Perodua's sales of 330,325 cars.