PERODUA shared with Malaysian media that attended the recent Japan Mobility Show 2023 event how it is still studying the viability of developing and manufacturing electric vehicles (EV). At no point did it mention of any plans to make that highly anticipated jump into this growth market.
Notably, any venture into the EV space is not the only thing being discussed among PERODUA top management as the option to look into hybrids are also looked into.
“Studying the EV market consists of multiple view-points — that much is something that PERODUA acknowledges. However, EV isn’t the only next-gen platform we are looking into as there is demand potential for hybrids as well among our customers,” said Ahmad Suhaimi Hashim, Deputy President, Perodua Auto Corporation.
These statements act as a direct follow-up to what PERODUA showcased at the Malaysia Autoshow 2023 earlier this year, with the unveiling of the PERODUA EM-O concept and its promise of moving into an electrified future.
With the EM-O, known fully as Electric Motion Online, PERODUA wants to bring its vision of combining clean energy, innovative design, and maximum safety into a next-gen automotive platform.
To-date, PERODUA had already rolled out a limited run of PERODUA Ativa Hybrid units — 300 to be exact. With all of them out the door, it is clear there is demand for clean energy vehicles among Malaysians.
For PERODUA, which is optimistic about increasing its sales even with an expected global downturn, Malaysia has a growing appetite for EVs and hybrids. It is only a matter of time before access to these platforms are open to all.