Rejected in China, please don’t let this Geely Emgrand GSe be Proton’s first EV; Discontinued in just 3 years

• Geely Emgrand GSe was pulled out from Chinese market after just 3 years
• Chinese buyers didn't like the compromises that has to be made when converting to EV
• Left-hand drive Emgrand GSe recently spotted in Malaysia wearing Proton trade plates

Yesterday, we reported that a Geely Emgrand GSe was spotted in Shah Alam creating a buzz on whether Proton will be rebadging the electric vehicle (EV) to fulfil its EV plans by 2027. However, upon further digging, we’re hoping that the GSe will only remain as an internal evaluation unit and won’t get rebadged with the Thundercat logo. Here’s why.

The Geely Emgrand GSe is the EV variant of the Geely Emgrand GS model. The GSe made its debut in 2018 and was only on sale for less than three years before Geely decided to discontinue the car in April 2021. 

While other EVs were slowly but surely getting more attention in the Chinese market, the GSe however suffered from poor sales. During its tenure on sale, Geely only managed to sell an average of around 1,000 units monthly before sales dwindled below to around 500.

Also read: Spied: Electric-powered Geely Emgrand GSe spotted testing in Malaysia, Proton's first EV?

In the year leading to its discontinuation, sales ranged between 100 units to 500 units. In China, with a population of 1.4 billion people, if a car sells less than 1,000 units a month, this spells doom for the model.

The reason for the GSe's unpopularity in China is because buyers tend to prefer EVs that are not converted from an internal combustion engine (ICE) model. Usually, EVs built on ICE platforms tend to lose many of the car's characteristics. 

Also read: Behold the Geometry EX3 Kungfu Cow, why did Geely's sub-brand name their new EV a cow?

For example, a car like the GSe loses a lot of its rear interior and boot space to make way for the large battery. The floor in the back seat is also very high up, making it a hassle for ingress and egress. That's not to mention that the GSe also loses it's SUV ground clearance to further accomodate the battery pack.  

Plus, in a sea of EVs on sale, you have to agree that the GSe is not the best looking EV in the market either. And since the car is built on an ICE platform, it is hard for Geely to make the car look more futuristic. 

Also read: Geely's Geometry E is an EV with just 81 PS, smaller than Proton X50

In terms of power figures, the Emgrand GSe is not the most impressive either. The SUV is powered by a single electric motor that produces 163 PS and 250 Nm. Power comes from a 52 kWh battery pack and the EV is good for a range of 353 km based on the NEDC.

While we’re excited to see Proton make progress on EVs, we would much prefer Proton look towards its distant cousin Smart for an EV candidate than a model that was rejected by a population of 1.4 billion people.

Also read: First look at Smart #1 - Soon to be Proton Edar's first EV, developed by Mercedes-Benz, built by Geely