since 1976
since 1976
National carmaker PROTON’s move into the New Energy Vehicle (NEV) segment continued to gain momentum as YB Senator Tengku Datuk Seri Utama Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz, Minister of International Trade and Industry (MITI), previewed a range of NEV models under Geely Group during a visit to Zeekr Intelligent Factory in Hangzhou Bay, Ningbo, China.
Founded in 2021, Zeekr, is a premium electric automobile brand owned by Geely Automobile Holdings that specializes in electric cars and operates on a user-oriented enterprise philosophy, in line with being a smart mobility technology company. The Zeekr Intelligent Factory maximizes the application of IR4.0 and 5G connectivity and epitomises the highest level of manufacturing efficiency. During the visit, the minister was given a tour of the facilities and held discussions with Geely and PROTON regarding the NEV and Intelligent Technology strategy, including a test drive session covering their comprehensive NEV product range – passenger cars, sports utility vehicles (SUV), lifestyle pick-ups and commercial vehicles.
The visit to Ningbo comes a day after the Malaysia – China Business Forum was held in Beijing for business leaders from both nations and was attended by YAB Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Prime Minister of Malaysia. The event saw the signing of a Heads of Agreement (HOA) document between DRB-HICOM and Geely that sealed their commitment to jointly invest, manage, and develop the Automotive High Tech Valley (AHTV) in Tanjung Malim into a smart city and hub for Next Generation Vehicles (NxGV). Over the next 10 years, AHTV is expected to attract investments worth an estimated RM32 billion.
NEV model introduction plans expand to cover more segments
While traditional internal combustion engine (ICE) powered cars remain the mainstay of Proton’s model range in the next few years, the company has also established its NEV strategy for the near future. Concurrently, through the collaboration with Geely, PROTON continues to explore opportunities to accelerate NEV programs in line with the Government’s aspirations toward enhancing NEV traction, especially toward offering affordable and practical NEV models, as well as pursuing local manufacturing and ecosystem development of NEV in Malaysia.
The first step to be taken will be the launch of the Proton X90, the latest addition to the brand’s range of SUVs powered by a mild-hybrid version of its 1.5 TGDI engine. This will be followed by the Malaysian market introduction of the smart #1 by PRO-NET in Q4 of 2023. After the visit by the MITI minister, there are now plans to expand the range of offerings and include vehicle segments new to PROTON.
“I am pleased to highlight after five years into their partnership, PROTON and Geely have made great strides in bringing new products, technology, and investment to Malaysia. Following the signing of the HOA in Beijing on 1 April, it is now clear AHTV has great potential to attract RM32 billion of investment and today’s visit to Ningbo demonstrates the PROTON and Geely partnership will continue to prosper with the future implementation of NEV programmes.
