SERDANG, May 21 — Perodua is making significant strides towards introducing its inaugural electric vehicle (EV) model with the unveiling of its first working prototype, the Myvi Emo-1.
President and chief executive officer Datuk Seri Zainal Abidin Ahmad said the company is confident it will roll out its first EV by the end of next year.
“We will try to do it by the end of 2025, as the development period may be less than three years.
“What I can say is that the price will not be more than RM100,000 and no less than RM50,000. We have exciting plans in store that will be revealed in due time,” he told reporters at the Malaysia Autoshow 2024 here today.
He said the EV prototype, comprising the power bench, power converter, and overall styling, is primarily made in Malaysia, while the power conversion technology is a collaborative effort with an Australian company.
“The power bench development is done by us (Perodua) by partnering up with three local universities — Universiti Tenaga Nasional, Universiti Kuala Lumpur and Universiti Putra Malaysia — to fully understand this technology and make it our own,” he said.
The collaboration, which began September 2022, saw Perodua and the three universities working together to develop an EV powertrain from the ground up, enhancing their expertise and capabilities in the EV field.
“This is a beginning for us, and we want to make this beginning as Malaysian as possible,” Zainal Abidin said.
In its quest to bring its first EV to fruition, Perodua emphasises the development of local vendors, anticipating the participation of over 60 of them to support mass production.
“Hopefully by then, they will be ready to take up all the EV-related product development, not only for Perodua but with other original equipment manufacturers,” he said.
The automaker is looking to expand its infrastructure to accommodate the production of its upcoming EV model, either by building a new factory or seeking partnerships with capable entities.
— Bernama
