Appollen EV launched in Malaysia with 3-car line-up but how much of this is true?
CY Foong · Oct 25, 2022 04:00 PM
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As the cars drifted around Setia City Convention Centre in conjunction with No Equal's Tea and Tyres on Monday, 24-Oct, inside the air-conditioned hall, Appollen, a brand-new player in Malaysiaâs EV market announced its launch with tonnes of ambition and enticing promises.
If this is your first time hearing the name Appollen, youâre not alone because itâs a very young and new company that was established this year. While car enthusiasts might have heard of the name when it was announced as a sponsor for the sixth version of No Equalâs Tea and Tyres, this writer first heard of the brand when an ad popped up on his familyâs Android Box set.
Weâll get back to the connection between the Android-powered device that streams shows from all over the world with a car but letâs get to know the company first. Appollen is a subsidiary of Apollo EV Pte Ltd which is based in Singapore and Malaysia is its debut market.
It was established in March 2022 and according to the press release, Apollo EV is a âtop investment portfolio of China International Capital Corporation (CICC)â. At the launch itself, Chris Yen, the companyâs CEO also announced that it intends to be listed on NASDAQ by 2025.
Proton only managed to open at least one EON dealer in each state when it was first incorporated while this company aims to have one on every corner of Malaysia
International ambitions aside, on the local front, Appollen made a bold proclamation to introduce 100 showrooms and 200 lifestyle stores located all over Malaysia as well as set up 2,500 charging stations within the next 2 years. It will also begin construction of its own manufacturing facility to locally assemble CKD (completely knocked down) EVs in 2023.
This counter was displayed throughout the press conference and by the end of it, the number stood at over 38k
Sparked by the (incumbent) governmentâs initiatives and efforts in the EV industry, Appollen has collaborated with the likes of Huawei, Media Prima, and SIRIM Berhad to push its effort in raising EV awareness in Malaysia.
Aside from these bold proclamations, Appollen also launched three EV models in its line-up which consist of the S1 sports car, the A1 5-door hatchback, and the A2 3-door coupe. If youâre also wondering how a company that was only established around eight months ago couldâve introduced their own production cars so soon, thatâs because Appollen had some help.
Enter the Dragonfly
Just like a certain tiger, this eagle is also rebadging Chinese cars
Qiantu Motor was established in 2016 and is headquartered in Suzhou, China. Its first production car launched was the QiantuK50 electric sports car which was shown at the Malaysian launch as the Appollen S1.
Compared to the ones shown in China and at various motor shows all over the world, the S1 shown here had scissor doors instead of conventional ones. Though Qiantuâs dragonfly logo is replaced by Appollenâs eagle shield, Qiantuâs branding appears on the windows and the brake callipers.
In fact, at the launch itself, Qiantuâs CEO gave a recorded video speech to thank Appollen which further strengthened the belief of how these cars were unveiled to the public within its young period of establishment.
The Appollen S1 serves as the flagship model of the Appollen range and is powered by two electric motors on each axle. The front motor makes 218 PS/290 Nm while the rear motor produces 340 PS/420 Nm. It is juiced up by a 97.9 kWh ternary lithium-ion battery with an NEDC range of 500 km while fast charging from 0-80% takes 45 minutes though Appollen has not revealed the charging power capacity.
We can't touch the car but looking at some of the panel gaps, you can probably judge the S1's refinement for yourself
0-100 km/h takes less than 3.3 seconds and it has a top speed of 210 km/h which for a sports car feels little.
Speaking of little, another model shown at the launch was the Appollen A2, which is a rebadged Qiantu K20. Compared to the S1, Appollen made a better effort at hiding the Qiantu references.
Measuring 3,700 mm in length, the A2 is only slightly longer than a Perodua Axia. Surprisingly, the A2 shown had the steering wheel on the right side so perhaps Appollen is serious in the Malaysian EV scene.
In terms of looks, the A2 is compact and the shape reminds me of the Hyundai Veloster and third-gen Renault Megane Coupe. Unlike the other two though, the A2 only has room for two passengers with the rear basically only holding the boot.
Nothing says confidence on the road like "CHAO YANG" tyres
Available with either front-wheel-drive (FWD) or all-wheel-drive (AWD), the Appollen A2âs front motor produces 95 PS/130 Nm while the rear makes 122 PS/170 Nm. Itâs available with either a 26 kWh or a 39 kWh lithium-ion battery with an NEDC range of 300 km or 500 km. Fast charging from 0-80% also takes 45 minutes and again no mention of the charging power.
Last but not least is the Appollen A1 which is essentially a Qiantu K25 and from the looks of it, itâs quite far from a production car with its suicide rear doors, low profile tyres, and steering yoke. Just like the A2, the A1 also has the steering wheel on the right side of the car.
Itâs the only model in the line-up that has room for people in the back and is powered by the same electric motors found in the A2 with a choice of either FWD or AWD. Granted, it has a shorter range of 450 km for the larger battery variant on the NEDC rating.
EV = Entertainment vehicle
Who needs safety when your passenger can enjoy Peppa Pig?
Across all three models, CEO Chris Yen was really excited to coin these EVs as more than just electric as they also provide entertainment. Among the features some of these models have included a whopping 25-speaker sound system and an Android-powered infotainment system that lets users download games and stream videos which is where the earlier box set connection comes in.
Besides playing Candy Crush or watching your favourite Korean dramas on the carsâ screen(s), users can also play carpool karaoke with the in-built Hi-Fi microphone and the excitedly mentioned 25 speakers.
But if the letter âEâ stands for âentrepreneurialâ then Appollen has the answer for you with the companyâs own blockchain technology. For those of you who think the metaverse has legs of opportunities or still goes bananas over NFTs, youâd be glad to have this car at your disposal.
As literally mentioned on the company's tagline, users can âdrive to earnâ with its built-in blockchain which gives you points for every mileage, charging amount, and other data that can be converted to purchase items or even exchanged for cash.
Suspicious or sustainable?
This leads to the million Appollen bucks ringgit question, how much truth is there in all of this? Appollen has announced prices for all 3 models with the A2 starting from RM 112,000, the A1 from RM 136,000, and the S1 from RM 588,000.
If youâre looking to get an electric vehicle, the prices for the A1 and A2 sound very enticing. The A2âs prices make it among the cheapest EVs on sale in Malaysia and it doesnât look like a tiny microcar.
The models announced are fully-imported (CBU) and manufactured by Qiantu Motor in Suzhou which after a 2-year hiatus, made a recent comeback into the Chinese EV market.
Yet, as ambitious Appollenâs plans are in Malaysia, we advise those interested in getting one to be very cautious. The Singaporean-based company is new to the automotive industry and is relying on a company that was quiet for a few years.
We have also seen other companies that tried to set foot into the EV market from abroad that failed or struggled to live up to their promises like Byton in Europe and Faraday Future in America. Locally, there are also a few companies setting up MoUs with smaller Chinese EV firms that failed to go beyond the agreement signed on paper.
After introducing itself to Malaysia through dances, speeches, and the public unveiling of its line-up physically, Appollen now has the most challenging hill to climb; convincing everyone that they are beyond just sweet words and glossy brochures.
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.
