Malaysia launches first EV under the national Proton marque

Automaker taking on BYD and Tesla with cheaper Geely-backed model

Malaysia's Proton launched the country's first locally-produced electric vehicle on Dec. 16 in partnership with China's Geely. (Photo by Norman Goh)

NORMAN GOH, Nikkei staff writer

December 16, 2024 22:45 JST

KUALA LUMPUR -- Malaysian automaker Proton Holdings launched its first electric vehicle model on Monday, marking the first locally-made EV in the country's growing auto market.

According to the announcement, the e.MAS 7 model is priced from 109,800 ringgit ($24,700) to 123,800 ringgit. That pricing challenges existing EV players like China's BYD, Tesla and BMW. Actual sales are due to begin early next year.