It's a thinly-veiled disguise, but a disguise nonetheless: signs point towards the Perodua E-MO concept to be a future take on the Myvi. The dimensions are there, the modern reworking of a classic hatchback look is also present, but naturally this concept is thought with a carbon-neutral society in mind – hence its reveal as an electric vehicle (EV).

But, is the revealing of this concept showing that Perodua is going all-in on just EVs? What's the company's stance on carbon-neutral mobility as a whole?

"EVs are one of our explorations in the future, but at the same time, hybrids will be in our product [line-up]. Most importantly, what we want to do is that our developments and strategies to be in-line with the government, and the National Automotive Policy (NAP) requirements," explained Perodua CEO Datuk Zainal Abidin Ahmad at the Malaysia Autoshow 2023.

"What we want to do is that work together with the government, develop a product that's in-line with regulations. Not necessarily just EVs, there might be hybrids, we will also continue with ICEs (internal combustion engines), but with better performance," he added.

"Most importantly – the target must be towards better carbon neutrality. Itu yang penting, to me it doesn't matter what – EVs, ICE, hybrids – we must make sure we meet all the carbon neutral requirements," he commented further.

Perodua's future plans

Back in February 2023, Perodua outlined their projection for the next decade. The company expects to see a rapid growth in sales of hybrids, while demand for traditional ICEs start to drop as xEVs rise to the fore.

Perodua also shared that the Malaysian government has asked local manufacturers to support the government’s goal of having electrified vehicles (xEVs, including HEVs or hybrids) contributing 9 percent of total new car sales in Malaysia by 2025, growing to 15 percent by 2030.

Also read: Perodua: EVs to overtake ICEs and hybrids in Malaysia by early 2030s - 17 suppliers may not survive the transition

2024 is also set to see Perodua's first locally-produced hybrid model debut, and it's not the Perodua Ativa Hybrid. Reading between the lines it's more than likely to be the all-new Perodua Bezza.

Keep in mind too that there's a new fleet-wide corporate average fuel efficiency (CAFE) target that carmakers now have to pay more attention to. Though details, time frames, and a formal announcement by the government are yet to be made, Perodua says it has been given a target of 4.2-litre/100 km, which further accelerates the demand for electrified powertrains.

Also read: The Perodua EM-O Concept hides a dedicated EV platform, for 2035 Myvi-sized model