Malaysia’s first home-grown EV sparks debate: local innovation or pricey Chinese ‘rebadge’?

Proton’s e.Mas7 struggles to convince EV fans, with some praising its good value and others dismissing the car as an overpriced model

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Malaysia’s first locally produced electric vehicle, the e.Mas7, was launched in Kuala Lumpur on December 16. Photo: AFP

Published: 12:00pm, 19 Dec 2024Updated: 12:09pm, 19 Dec 2024

Malaysia’s first home-grown electric vehicle (EV) has triggered a debate on whether it is great value for money or a pricey Chinese knock-off, as locals remain unconvinced over the ability of the country’s flagship carmaker to keep pace in the hypercompetitive EV market.

Proton, Malaysia’s first car company, launched its e.Mas7 on Monday, stepping up to the EV plate with a sports utility vehicle crafted with clean panels that wrap seamlessly around the body, all for an entry price of under US$25,000.

The roll-out came less than two years after Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim mandated that Proton and fellow national marque Perodua develop and bring to market their own EVs by 2025.

The push was part of the government’s efforts to get a foot in the door for local industry players, as well-capitalised Chinese EV makers increasingly crowd out markets in Southeast Asia to cushion hundreds of millions of dollars in potential losses from damaging tariffs imposed by the US and European nations.

The e.Mas7 received “more than 1,000 units of pre-launch bookings”, according to a spokesperson from PRO-NET, Proton’s new energy vehicle arm in charge of the EV’s marketing.

But the e.Mas7 appeared to have struggled to win over fans on Malaysia’s often bellicose social media, with many dismissing it as a watered down and overpriced “rebadge” of the Galaxy E5 built by Chinese carmaker Geely.