Perodua unveils first working EV prototype at Malaysia Autoshow

Perodua has provided some insights into its R&D for  electrification technology which will form the foundation of its future electric vehicles. At the Malaysia Autoshow 2024 this week, the Malaysian carmaker is displaying its first working prototype EV – the Myvi Conversion – which has been under development since September 2022.

Development mostly in-house
EMO-1, as the EV prototype is known, consists of 3 main parts, the power bench, the power converter, with overall styling and design are made in Malaysia. Only the power conversion technology development has been done with an Australian company.

For the prototype electric powertrain, there is one motor which can generate up to 120 kW (equivalent to 163 ps) and 220 Nm of torque. It is powered by a lithium-ion NMC battery pack with a capacity of 55.7 kWh that is said to give a range of up to 350 kms.

Collaboration with 3 local universities
“The power bench development is done by Perodua in partnership with 3 local universities – Universiti Tenaga Nasional, Universiti Kuala Lumpur, and Universiti Putra Malaysia. This will enable greater understanding of the technology and also make it our own,” said Perodua President & CEO, Dato’ Sri Zainal Abidin Ahmad.

The collaboration with the 3 universities has seen the development of an EV powertrain from scratch; by doing so, it enhances each entity’s expertise and capabilities in the EV field. In other words, rather than just take technology already developed by another carmaker, Perodua wants to develop its in-house expertise and knowledge through its own efforts and initiatives.

“This is a beginning for us, and we want to make this beginning as Malaysian as possible.”

Perodua President & CEO, Dato’ Sri Zainal Abidin Ahmad

“We chose the Perodua Myvi as the model of choice for this project as it is a model that has captured the imagination and attention of most Malaysians,” Dato’ Sri Zainal said, emphasising that the first Perodua EV would look different from the EMO-1 prototype on display.

Making EVs affordable for Malaysians
Dato’ Sri Zainal also reiterated Perodua’s commitment to provide Malaysians with affordable cars so the carmaker will be working hard to bring costs and therefore prices down well below the RM100,000 level, perhaps to what Perodua customers are used to. This will, of course, be a big challenge since EV technology is still young and therefore expensive.

He also said that Perodua will work towards addressing the issue of resale values of EVs. These vehicles are new in the market and at this time, their residual value after 5 to 10 years is still uncertain. There are concerns that the replacement of the expensive battery pack may impact the resale values so Perodua will see how it can moderate depreciation of EVs in the longer term. This is certainly a commendable move; while many carmakers look at recycling issues, Perodua is also looking at how long-term ownership of an EV will be for the customer.

At the Perodua stand at the Autoshow, visitors will also see the carmaker’s New Outlet Standards which are an ongoing transformation effort to give customers a seamless experience at the 3S centres.

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