PERODUA SET TO PRODUCE 500 UNITS OF EMO-II MONTHLY, AIMS FOR CHEAPEST EV

By Engku Shariful Azni Engku Ab Latif

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 4 (Bernama) -- Perusahaan Otomobil Kedua Sdn Bhd (Perodua) aims to produce 500 units per month of its electric vehicle (EV) called eMO-II starting next year.

Its president and chief executive officer Datuk Seri Zainal Abidin Ahmad told the media the EV model is expected to be priced between RM50,000 and RM90,000 after revealing the eMO-II EV prototype at the Kuala Lumpur International Mobility Show 2024 (KLIMS 2024) here today.

"We will make further announcements regarding the charging system as we plan to have an EV charging station every 40 to 50 kilometres, whether it is a fixed permanent charger or a mobile charger, which is still under study. We are also looking at the resell value, as I mentioned before, we would like to maintain its second-hand value," he said.

Zainal Abidin said Perodua aims to produce the cheapest EV in Malaysia, given the new model’s low but competitive price range. "Based on our study, in the first quarter of 2025, the other EV companies that are selling EVs now would not be able to sell at lower prices (than us), since it might compromise other things. So for us, we still hope we can sell the cheapest EV around (in Malaysia)," he added.

Before this, the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI) said it would help Perodua produce Malaysia's first EV priced under RM100,000.  Its minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz said the ministry was optimistic that Perodua would reach its target of producing the EV by the end of 2025.

The Perodua EV project was fully developed in-house by the carmaker’s research and development team in 2023. 

Zainal Abidin said the eMO-II prototype has been improved from its predecessor in terms of styling and features and is more defined as the company charts its EV future. "Please keep in mind that this is still a prototype model and there are plenty of other features and improvements that we will add to our finished product, which we will introduce in the near future," he said.

-- BERNAMA