Malaysia’s first EV, the Proton e.MAS 7 achieved a 5-star rating from ASEAN’s New Car Assessment Program (NCAP). The vehicle is Malaysia’s first locally produced electric vehicle and launched in the market last December.
MALAYSIA’S FIRST LOCAL EV
Proton is Malaysia’s first local automaker and the e.MAS 7 serves as Malaysia’s debut entry into the EV market. The e.MAS 7 launch was a notable moment in the country’s automotive history. Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim attended the vehicle’s launch at the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre on December 19, 2024.
Proton is optimistic about their latest product, citing that it was a significant step forward in Malaysia’s EV adoption. In an official statement, the company said: “PROTON envisions the launch of the first Malaysian national EV as a driver towards sustainability and innovation in transportation in the country. This in turn is in line with the National Energy Transition Roadmap (NETR) that counts the transformation of Malaysia into a net-zero emissions nation by 2050 among its main objectives.”
Similarly, the Malaysian government is equally confident in the e.MAS 7. “In the near future, I am also happy to see that this car will be built in Malaysia in Tanjung Malim, hence uplifting Malaysian vendors through the transfer of new technologies and skills associated with EV,” said Ibrahim at the event.
THE e.MAS 7
The e.MAS 7 comes in two variants: the Prime model or the base model, priced at MYR109,800 (AUD39,154.02) and the Premium model priced at MYR123,800 (AUD44,146.34). Apart from the price, both variants are equipped with an LFP battery but differ in terms of power. The base model has a 49.52 kWh battery that covers a range of 345km, while the premium model carries a battery of 60.22kWh with a range of 410km. It also comes in five colours; Platinum Silver, Turquoise Green, Slate Grey, Quartz Rose, and Lithium White.
Drivers can charge both variants with AC and DC fast charging. On the base model, it takes 6.1 hours to charge to 100 per cent. On the other hand, the premium model takes 6.1 hours to fully charge. When using DC fast-charging, it only takes 20 minutes to reach 80 per cent from 30 per cent. 10 minutes of charging can cover up to 135km.
The car’s operating system is Flyme OS, powered by a 7nm chip created by Geely’s cell phone-making arm Meizu. Proton built a “live map” of most of Malaysia’s local EV charging ports in the car’s entertainment system. The car is also equipped with wireless charging pads, speakers installed in the headrests, and USB ports.
“INTELLIGENCE THAT ELECTRIFIES.”
ASEAN NCAP was able to test the e.MAS 7’s Premium model in the CAERI test lab. The vehicle came with 6 airbags and standard safety features such as Electronic Stability Control (ESC), Anti-lock Braking system (ABS), and Autonomous Emergency Breaking (AEB) for both City and Inter-Urban systems. It is also equipped with a Seatbelt Reminder System (SBR) for all occupants and Blind Spot Detection (BSD) for both side of the vehicle.
Also integrated into the car are the following safety features; Automatic High Beam (AHB), Pedestrian Protection (PP), Forward Collision Warning (FCW), Lane Keep Assist (LKA), Lane Departure Warning (LDW), Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA), and Rear Cross Traffic Braking (RCTB).
Overall, the vehicle passed both passive and active safety tests with high marks across the board. For the Adult Occupant Protection (AOP) category, the e.MAS 7 scored 39 points out of 40. In its impact test, nearly all areas of the front-seat dummies were protected well.
In the Child Occupant Protection (COP) category, the vehicle earned a mark of 17.32 out of 20 points. The left and right rear passenger seats can be installed with a variety of child seats. The front passenger seat was not as agreeable with only 2 out of 11 child seats having installation capability.
The vehicle also earned a perfect score of 20 points for the Safety Assist (SA) category. ASEAN NCAP found that the e.Mas 7’s safety features were standard across all variants.
Finally, its Motorcyclist Safety (MS) score is 16.25 out of 20 points due to the lack of a rear visualisation feature. The vehicle did not score any bonus points and scored 92.57 points out of 100 overall.
So far, the e.MAS 7 is ASEAN NCAP’s highest-scoring model evaluated. Conclusively, the Proton e.MAS 7 is a great start for Malaysia, especially in terms of safety.
To read the full report from ASEAN NCAP, click here. For ASEAN NCAP’s official press release regarding this rating, click here.
