With the incoming duty exemptions for electric vehicles beginning 2022, Proton Edar CEO Roslan Abdullah says that the EV tax incentives will help to increase the adoption rate of electric vehicles and an increased range of products on the market, The Star reported.
“Proton has a planned roadmap towards introducing hybrid, plug-in hybrid vehicles and electric vehicles, so perhaps this development can help push our plans forward,” Roslan said, adding that the extended SST exemption period – now effective until June 30, 2022 – will also help drive car sales and boost the economy in the first half of 2022.
That said, Roslan says that there is still a long way to go in terms of vehicle charging infrastructure to support the growing number of EVs on Malaysian roads, which “is a considerable obstacle that needs to be overcome,” he said.
There was no mention of specific incoming electrified products by Proton on the horizon, though with Proton’s official partnership with Geely, there is the possibility of drawing from the Chinese manufacturer’s technology pool which now includes Leishen Power, Geely’s new powertrain brand that features Leishen Hi-X, a modular hybrid powertrain platform.
The new powertrain platform will also be joined by efficiency-driven products like a new hybrid transmission, hybrid engines and a new-generation electric motor. In PHEV applications, the powertrain technology could yield around 200 km of purely electric range, while being capable of receiving over-the-air firmware updates.
It however remains to be seen whether or not the Leishen Power range of powertrain products will find its way into future Proton models, however we have already seen Proton go from the development of the Campro VVT engine to the 1.5 litre three-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine that resulted from Volvo and Geely development.
Through its strategic partnership with Geely, Proton has so far achieved its objective of launching new or refreshed vehicles every year, and with this frequency of product introductions set to continue – and with the recent debut of Leishen Power – it would appear that Proton’s plans for electrified models are gaining traction. What do you think so far, dear readers?
GALLERY: Geely Leishen Power
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