Proton begins groundwork to build EVs in Malaysia

Malaysian automaker Proton has started construction of the country’s first plant for EVs. The company will invest 82 million Malaysian ringgit (approximately 18 million euros) in the factory.

Proton is building the new factory in Tanjung Malim, a town in Malaysia’s northwestern state of Perak, and plans to complete the construction work by the end of 2025. It is installing an annual production capacity of 20,000 units and will increase that figure to 45,000 units in the second phase if it finds enough demand.

The upcoming factory may not support full-fledged manufacturing, at least not initially. To begin with, Proton plans to just assemble the e.MAS 7 from imported completely knocked-down kits (CKDs). The company has released contradicting statements about the further product allocation for this plant.

On one hand, Proton calls the future manufacturing facility a dedicated EV plant, on the other, it says it will utilise this factory for “future NEV offerings” as well. NEV, short for New Energy Vehicles, includes not only pure electric vehicles but also plug-in hybrid electric vehicles and extended-range electric vehicles.

The e.MAS 7 is both Proton and Malaysia’s first EV. The company derived it from Chinese automaker Geely’s Galaxy E5 but says it “isn’t just a rebadged vehicle.” The Malaysian automaker claims the e.MAS 7 has 49 differences, including higher water wading depth of 400 mm, to adapt to local conditions.

According to a report from Paultan, Proton will assemble the e.MAS 7 in Malaysia not only for domestic sales but also for exports. The company plans to launch electric compact SUV in Mauritius, Nepal, Singapore, and Trinidad and Tobago. The report suggests that Brunei is also a possible export market.

Proton already sells the e.MAS 7 in Malaysia, importing it as a CBU from China. The company offers it in Prime and Premium grades, priced at 109,800 Malaysian ringgits (approximately 24,000 euros) and 123,800 Malaysian ringgits (27,000 euros), respectively. The first 3,000 customers will receive a special discount of 4,000 Malaysian ringgits (867 euros) on both grades. The company will likely reduce the prices once it starts locally assembling the model.

theedgemalaysia.com, paultan.org, emas.proton.com (launch)