‘MALAYSIA CAN BE ELECTRIC CAR HUB’
But vendors need to invest in new skills and technologies, says Proton deputy CEO
MALAYSIA has the potential to be an electric vehicle (EV) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) hub, said Proton Holdings Bhd deputy chief executive officer Datuk Radzaif Mohamed.
But this requires local vendors to develop new skills and invest in advanced technologies that will allow them to make a quantum leap to become global suppliers.
Therefore, Radzaif said the muchdelayed National Automotive Policy 2020 (NAP2020) must take a holistic view regard- ing EVs and PHEVs encompassing multiple areas.
He believes providing incentives for these vehicle types under NAP2020 could spur growth in sales.
At the same time, it is vital that the increased sales are backed by long-term developments.
“This includes prioritising the development and manufacturing of these vehicles, their critical
components as well as the charging infrastructure to support EVs and PHEVs in the country,” Radzaif told the New Straits
Times.
Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad is expected to unveil the new blueprint for the automotive sector tomorrow.
Introduced in 2006, the NAP was aimed at facilitating the transformation and integration of the local automotive industry with regional and global networks within an increasingly competitive environment.
The policy was subsequently reviewed in 2009 and in 2014.
Radzaif pointed out that one of the aims of the NAP2014 was for Malaysia to be a regional hub for energyefficient vehicles in sales and production.
At the time, the global adoption of EVs was low and the technology was still in its infancy.
“Today, however, the momentum for EVs and PHEVs has grown steadily,” he said.
Last year, the global market for EVs and PHEVs grew to 2.2 million units, or 2.5 per cent, of the global vehicle market.
Radzaif said overall, carmakers were committed to spending about US$225 billion to develop EVs and PHEVs, which showed that the segment would expand further in the near future.
“In this respect, Proton will continue to work with local vendors to develop their capabilities. This is a task it has undertaken since its establishment and hopes to continue under the NAP2020. To support this undertaking, the company has committed to launch models with increasing levels of technologically-advanced features over the next few years,” he added.