The RHB DRIVE Premium & EV Roadshow from 2-3 June 2023 is the place to make your EV dreams a reality

Electric vehicles (EVs) might be all the rage these days and just like any new technology in its initial rapidly developing phase, is experiencing an exponential adoption rate for reasons beyond the usual commuting purposes.

Much like the latest smartphones, EVs have comfortably found their niche as a novelty factor among those able to afford one and is viewed as a status symbol above all else.

Technology permeating into modern cars make them more of a technological showcase and this is especially true for EVs as they carry the latest tech from carmakers. It’s simply progression and some people like to be seen at the front of the queue.

In the case of a business owner or upper management in a technological company, being seen behind the wheel of an EV further reinforces the image of someone that walks the talk of what they sell.

You’re not going to hand over your money to someone that owns a tech business but talks down EVs, right?

If you’ve been toying with the idea of living the EV life but carry a little uncertainties, being able to experience a few of them and getting a feel on the road is the best way to alleviate those worries.

The best place to do that would be the RHB DRIVE Premium & EV Roadshow happening next month from 2 - 4 June 2023 at the outdoor Piazza of Pavilion Bukit Jalil.

WapCar will be collaborating with our sister-title Carlist.my to host the EV show that’s spearheaded by RHB’s green financing package tailored specifically for EVs, making it convenient to drive home in the silence of an EV with huge savings over a conventional hire purchase loan.

Also Read: Buying Volvo C40, BMW iX, or BYD Atto 3? There's a smarter way to finance your EV purchase

The extensive list of participants brings most of the popular EVs on sale in Malaysia to one spot. Among the electrifying models at the show are to get up close and personal with include:

• BMW iX xDrive 40 Sport
• BMW iX1 xDrive 30 M Sport
• BMW X5 xDrive 45e M Sport
• BMW iX3
• Mini Electric
• Mini Countryman S
• Volvo XC40 Recharge
• Volvo C40 Recharge
• BYD Atto 3
• GWM Ora Good Cat

We bet the once you’ve seen the most on the road is the BMW iX. It’s the most popular premium EV in the country, and therefore the most trusted by default.

Its starting price of RM 403,800 for the xDrive40 variant places it on par with the current 530i M Sport at RM 410,800. For someone looking to cultivate an appearance at the forefront of technology, it’s a no-brainer. Furthermore, someone in this bracket likely already owns an internal combustion car.

Nonetheless, the smaller iX3 is also pulling in the crowds, starting from RM 322,800.

If you prefer to be different without compromising, the Volvo XC40 Recharge and its sloping roof twin, the C40 Recharge, are excellent alternative. The former goes for RM 278,888 while the coupe-fied treatment of the latter will cost an additional RM 10k.

If you’re in the market for something below the RM 200k mark to ease into the EV lifestyle, the chic MINI Electric starts from RM 196,876 and offers more vogue design than all the other EVs on display.

From the East, China’s booming EV industry will be present to demonstrate their progress with the form of the BYD Atto 3, which starts from RM 149,800, as well as the Ora Good Cat, which starts from RM 140,500.

Both of these Chinese EVs will also be available for a public test drive during the show.

BYD is swiftly cementing it position as the common person’s Tesla and that’s as great a compliment as one can get. Furthermore, it uses the LFP 'Blade' battery, which is claimed to be more robust and safer against fires than conventional NMC-type batteries.

Also Read: BYD Atto 3's LFP Blade battery - This is what makes it superior to its rivals

To simplify the techno talk, the Blade battery uses lithium iron phosphate (LFP) as the cathode material and though it’s not as widely used in EVs as ternary lithium batteries with nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) oxide or nickel cobalt aluminium (NCA) oxide, BYD says it’s much safer.

NMC cells release oxygen in the event of a thermal runaway (overheating), which catches fire easily, LFP cells hinder the release oxygen due to the phosphorus-oxygen bond in the cathode.

Last but not the least by any means is the Ora Good Cat. The former most affordable EV in the country before being usurped by the Neta V, it lays claim to being styled by ex-Porsche designer Emanuel Derta.

There’s something for every budget at the RHB DRIVE Premium & EV Roadshow and every model on display will be eligible for RHB Green Financing.

The pioneering daily rest variable interest rate hire purchase is almost unmatched by traditional fixed rate financing offerings from by rival banks. Furthermore, you’ll also be rewarded with greater savings the sooner you pay your instalments every month. This is because RHB’s Green Financing is a daily rest product, meaning that borrowers who pay their monthly instalments early in the month, as opposed to waiting until the end of the month, will see even more savings.

It’s not an apples-to-apples comparison with traditional a hire purchase but RHB simplifies it for the laymen as below.

Assuming a buyer borrows RM 300,000 with a 9-year long tenure, the variable rate Green Financing product has an equivalent interest rate of just 2.05 percent on a fixed rate product – an extremely low rate that’s hard to match with the usual hire purchase method.

It doesn’t end there though, buyers who sign up for RHB Green Financing will also benefit from a free 1-year membership of ChargEV worth RM 240. If you are plan your trips well with the PlugShare app and locate the free public chargers, you can theoretically ‘refuel’ for free, for a year.

Even if you’re dropping by just to check out the latest in EVs or find out more about them, visitors will stand the chance to win some lucky draw prizes in the form of 70 Mai dash cams and TnG e-Wallet credits throughout the show.

More information can be found by clicking on the link here.

Also Read: From RM 599, the best dash cam on sale, period! Introducing the 70mai Dash Cam Omni