Malaysia’s first national carmaker, Proton, has formally launched a new brand, e.MAS, to help drive its electrification strategy in its home market.
The carmaker said e.Mas, an acronym for Electrifying Malaysia, would be used for all future electric vehicles (EVs) it planned to launch in collaboration with its Chinese strategic partner Zhejiang Geely Holding Group (Geely), which owns a stake of 49.9% ownership in the automaker. company.
Production of Geely-based EVs, including plug-in hybrids and battery electric vehicles (BEVs), would take place at the Tanjung Malim assembly plant in Perak state.
The plant currently produces the Geely-based X50, X70 and X90 mild hybrid, which was launched last year.
Proton said last month that its first plug-in hybrid, also based on a Geely model, would go into production next year, along with a Geely-based BEV.
The company last month opened a new research and development (R&D) center in China, within the Geely Automobile Research Institute in Hangzhou Bay, to help accelerate the localization process.
Proton CEO Li Chunrong said in a statement: “Today’s unveiling of the e.MAS brand and logo marks an important step forward in Proton’s journey towards launching our own EV model. We realize that as a company linked to Malaysia’s industrialization, we have a responsibility to provide mobility solutions that are relevant and within the reach of all Malaysians. This is why Proton has been deliberate in its approach to electric cars, developing our knowledge base step by step to ensure we have a thorough understanding of the products, technology and user issues before sales even begin.”
Li Chunrong added: “As Malaysia’s first car brand, it is important for Proton to invest in infrastructure to offer a full range of services to EV buyers, rather than just selling products. When the Proton e.MAS models go on sale, customers can therefore be assured that all their needs will be met, just as they would be for buyers of the current range.”
At the launch event, Proton also announced that it had appointed its first 17 EV dealers, with the agreements formalized at a signing ceremony earlier in the day.
The automaker said applications are now open to interested dealers, which initially set a target of having 30 EV outlets by 2025.
“Proton Launches New EV Brand” was originally created and published by Just Auto, a brand owned by GlobalData.
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