Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI), Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz, revealed that Perodua is on track to produce its first affordably-priced mass-produced electric vehicle by the end of 2025.
Tengku Zafrul shared this information via his official Facebook page together with photos of him and representatives from MITI and Perodua discussing with an unnamed international automotive company in Milan, Italy.
The minister’s post read, “In line with the appointment of Perodua to lead the production of affordable EVs under the New Industrial Master Plan 2030 (NIMP 2030), Perodua has collaborated with an international automotive company to produce a prototype EV. Mass production is scheduled for the end of 2025.”
The international automotive company involved in the prototype will likely be Daihatsu, Perodua’s technical partner and shareholder.
Automachi stated that the next-gen Myvi is being developed under the codename D01D. Word on the grapevine is that the fourth-gen Myvi is reported to be introduced in 2025 so Zafrul’s EV timeline could hint at perhaps an EV variant of Malaysia’s favourite practical “supercar”.
At Malaysia Autoshow 2023, Perodua showcased a scale model of an EV concept called the Perodua EM-O. The compact car could preview the next-generation Myvi which is also rumoured to be utilising the Daihatsu New Generation Architecture (DNGA) platform.
It is also speculated that the next-gen Myvi could be shared with the next-gen Toyota Yaris. It’s a plausible speculation given that the outgoing Yaris is still soldiering on while its sedan relative the Vios is in an all-new generation. Still, there is no DNGA-based EV model thus far.
According to the specifications of the EM-O concept, it could be powered by a front-mounted single motor that produces 95 PS and 121 Nm. It has the same output as the naturally aspirated 1.3-litre 1NR-VE 4-cylinder engine in the Myvi and Bezza.
The concept is also claimed to be juiced by a 50-kWh lithium-ion battery with a range of between 300-350 km. The most impressive spec would be the dual 400 V/800 V electrical architecture that enables a max charging capacity of 300 kW, higher than the 270 kW architecture found in the Porsche Taycan.
Perodua claims that AC charging to 100 percent takes 7.5 hrs while ultra-fast DC charging to 80 percent takes 20 minutes.
Since the government restricts imported EVs to be priced below RM 100,000, Perodua’s EV project could easily be Malaysia’s first proper affordable EV. With sales of EVs rising in the country, could P2 truly elevate its potential for the masses?
Traded advertising for a career that fits his passion for cars. Enjoys spotting cars during his free time and has a soft spot for Japanese Kei cars but drives a thirsty manual sedan.
