Proton positive about prospects for first EV
17 Dec 2024
Proton Holdings Bhd is confident the momentum that drove up total industry volume (TIV) sales forecast for 2024 could be sustained going into next year, says its deputy chief executive Roslan Abdullah.
Commenting on the recently upgraded TIV forecast by the Malaysian Automotive Association (MAA) that 2024 should see sales touch 800,000 units, Roslan said there is a chance the number can be exceeded, with the sector also seeing a similar 2025 provided the country’s economic situation remains stable.
“Salary increases among civil servants, coupled with the amended minimum wage policy should attract more vehicle buyers, which bodes well for the automotive sector. These wage increases also open the path for financial institutions to provide more loans,” he said.
Roslan was speaking to StarBiz on the sidelines of the launch of Proton’s first electric vehicle (EV) model, the e.MAS 7, an event officiated by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim yesterday.
Proton chairman Tan Sri Syed Faisal Albar had mentioned the e.MAS 7 is a fully green vehicle with zero carbon emissions, which is aligned with the nation’s net-zero commitment, before adding that the group had opened a new research and development (R&D) centre in China’s Hangzhou Bay back in April to strengthen its EV initiatives.
He said the R&D centre has a total of 60 local engineers responsible for the Proton’s e-MAS range in the future, including the e.MAS 7.
“Global auto sales had reached 92 million cars last year and one third of them were in China alone, and therefore, we are glad our partner is a global original equipment manufacturer from China.
“Geely has provided us with the impetus needed to bring us to another level, not just in Malaysia but also in the export markets,” said Syed Faisal.
Meanwhile, Geely Auto Group chief executive officer Jerry Gan said the partnership between Proton and Geely is a representation of pragmatic cooperation and shared success between the companies.
He remarked that Proton’s R&D centre in China marked a deeper integration of both companies R&D’s systems, significantly enhancing Proton’s research and innovation capabilities.
“The e.MAS 7 is a testament to the depth of collaboration between Proton and Geely. Over 700,000 man hours of R&D were invested, with over 100,000km of localised vehicle durability testing conducted,” added Gan.
At the same event, DRB-Hicom Bhd signed a memoranda of understanding (MoU) with the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (Mida) and Malaysia Automotive, Robotics and IoT Institute (MARii) to promote the enhancement and transformation of Malaysia’s automotive industry in the Automotive Hi-Tech Valley (AHTV) project in Tanjung Malim, Perak.
The agreements were inked together with DRB-Hicom’s joint-venture partner, China’s automotive group Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co Ltd, and carry the objective of transforming the AHTV into a global automotive hub, focusing on the production of next generation vehicles (NxGV) and high-tech automotive components.
The collaboration with Mida, which is valid for two years, will focus on exploring potential areas of cooperation and collaboration to promote investments specifically in the development of the AHTV, with the objective of fostering growth, capabilities and competitiveness of the Malaysia automotive industry.
Key areas of collaboration include promoting the transformation of Malaysia’s automotive industry and Industry 4.0, helping the country to become a leader for energy efficient vehicles in Asean, while also focusing on the production of NxGVs and high tech automotive components.
Concurrently, the agreement with MARii would be for the purpose of exploring areas of cooperation and collaboration in the areas of R&D and talent development as a global strategic project that contributes to the enhancement and transformation of Malaysia’s automotive industry.
Looking back at the e.MAS 7, Proton revealed that the base Prime variant is priced at RM109,800, while the top Premium costs RM123,800 each excluding insurance.
The first 3,000 buyers will get a RM4,000 discount, making the respective prices RM105,800 for the Prime and RM119,800 for the Premium.
Stopping short of disclosing Proton’s sales targets for the e.MAS 7, Roslan said that the group is working closely with Geely for more upcoming EV models, while pledging its support to the government’s net-zero agenda.
When asked if the next models will gravitate towards the more affordable segment, he acknowledged the group is indeed looking into pricing as one of the key factors in its next models after the launch of the e.MAS 7.
Source: The Star
