10/08/2025

theSunday Special XV ON SUNDAY AUG 10, 2025

HAS the EV dream been sold short? I believe we got ahead of ourselves. The government set a national tar get of 10,000 EV chargers nation wide by the end of 2025. We are currently at under 4,000 chargers with little less than four months left in the year. So, there is no chance that we will install 6,000 chargers nationwide in the next few months and that means that is another target that we will fail to achieve. But is it a case of reaching for the moon and ending up on a star? For those that don’t understand the meta phor, it basically means that little pro gress is better than no progress. However, the ever-competitive car market cannot operate on metaphors. It needs solid numbers and objectives to help it plan product line-up and future models. And not achieving the national goal for EV chargers, is, well, a little embarrassing. I am not going to get into why it has happened and who should take the blame and how do we ensure it doesn’t happen again. I just want to talk about how it affects car buyers. If you are considering buying an

I had the personal misfortune of owning a German diesel hybrid when battery gave way. Even though I loved that it could consistently give me 1,200km on a full tank, my not that-old heart had a “moment” when I was handed a RM30,000 replace ment bill. The salesperson then followed up by saying, “don’t worry sir, this is cov ered under warranty”. That was the best form of verbal defibrillation. Anyway, brand new batteries cost well below RM10,000 these days and you only have to worry about that after their warranties have expired. And most cars come with eight-to-10 year warranties now anyway, so you can rest easy. So, if you are in the market for a new car and are thinking about a hybrid, I want to say that it has its benefits. Legacy brands like Honda for example have poured millions into R&D and even race hybrid power trains in Formula 1 and the World Endurance Championship. When it comes to hybrids, they know what they’re doing. So, are hybrids the way forward? Yes, I think so. For now, at least.

Are hybrids the way forward?

EV, this missed goal is not a good thing. It just means there are fewer options for you. Of course, you could install a home charger and that would be brilliant, but in case you need to make an out

Volvo are championing. For the moment, I believe hybrids offer the best solution to our clean living needs. You don’t have the hassle of need ing to charge and as such you can

station trip, you will be at the mercy of public chargers, of which the more the merrier. So, is adopting an EV truly the way forward? I am all for EV’s, I do believe in a sus tainable future. I want this entire dream to work, but I don’t believe in how it is being done and how it is being forced down our throats.

detach from the mess of unobtained national goals. You can go about your life as usual with no dramatic learning curve usually asso ciated with EV’s. If you are wondering about fuel consumption, a lot of the hybrid powertrains on the market today are capable of well over 700km per tank.

WRITTEN BY KESHY DHILLON

EV’s are not going to replace inter nal combustion engines. Not yet any way. Not in our lifetime. I do believe that they will co-exist. For now, I think hybrids are a good solution. Whether it is hybrid engines, of which I wrote about extensively in these pages today, or plug-in hybrids like what brands like Jaecoo and

Some are even capable of reaching over 1,000km, but from what I heard about those feats, you really have to feather the throttle. That’s not some thing that is feasible for day-to-day driving. As for maintenance, hybrids have come a long way from the scary Frankensteins with mammoth bills.

The X factor PROTON has commenced nationwide delivery of its all-new X50 SUV, with 999 units reaching customers just five working days after the official launch on July 24.

Proton delivers 999 units of all-new X50 within five days amid strong market response

number has now grown to 8,000. The marketing push for the new X50 is far from over. Proton has collaborated with several local entertainment platforms to boost visibility among younger demo graphics. A highlight of these efforts includes a partnership with local pop group De Fam, who debuted a dedicated song and music video during the vehicle’s launch event. Proton also took the unconven tional route of hosting the launch at a pickleball venue, adding a modern, lifestyle-driven twist to the occasion. Further outreach included involvement with the Anugerah Melodi Terhangat (AMT) awards show, where Proton introduced a special category – the Anugerah

Pilihan Proton X50 Superstar. The winner, which was deter mined by public votes, received a brand-new Proton X50 during the awards finale last weekend at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre. The new X50 brings several enhancements over its predeces sor, including refreshed exterior and interior styling, an upgraded infotainment system with a 14.6 inch display, and advanced Adas Level 2 driver assistance technol ogy. A notable technological first is the introduction of Bahasa Melayu voice recognition, making Proton the first brand to incorpo rate this feature. Under the bonnet, the X50 is powered by a new i-GT 1.5 TD tur

The rapid delivery follows an extensive pre-launch campaign and careful stock planning, ensur ing the brand could reward early supporters even before the pric ing was officially revealed. By the end of July, a total of 2,000 units had been produced at Proton’s Tanjong Malim plant, with output expected to remain high in the coming months to meet surging demand. Within just 10 days of booking opening, 5,000 reservations were secured – despite no price announcement at that time. That

bocharged engine producing 181PS and 290Nm of torque, mated to a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission. It delivers a 0–100kph sprint time of just 7.6 seconds, while improving fuel efficiency by 4.7% compared to the previous model. The X50 is available in three trims – Executive, Premium, and

Flagship – with on-the-road prices (excluding insurance) starting at RM89,800 for the Executive, RM101,800 for the Premium, and RM113,300 for the Flagship. To sweeten the deal, Proton is offering a RM4,000 cash rebate under its Gempak ! Deal for the first 10,000 buyers. B-Assembly, a wholly owned sub sidiary of Berjaya Assets Berhad, has been selected as Jetour’s official pro duction partner in Malaysia. Currently, production efforts at the plant are centred around the Jetour Dashing and VT9 models. More than 1,000 units have already been produced, with local deliveries of the Dashing beginning in June 2025, followed closely by the VT9. Looking ahead, Jetour has pledged an investment of approximately RM1.4 billion in Malaysia to expand its local production capabilities. This includes plans to introduce additional locally assembled models and initiate exports to neighbouring Asean countries.

Jetour launches local assembly operations JETOUR Auto Malaysia has officially launched local assembly for its popu lar SUV models, the Jetour Dashing and VT9, at the Berjaya Assembly Sdn. Bhd. (B-Assembly) plant in Tampoi, Johor Bahru. also as a strategic distribution centre for Jetour’s Asean operations. The initiative is closely aligned with the Malaysian government’s vision for a more localised, technologically advanced, and job-generating auto motive sector.

The commencement of production at this facility marks a major milestone in the company’s regional strategy and reflects its deepening commit ment to the Malaysian automotive industry. The local assembly takes place within B-Assembly’s expansive 640,000 square foot manufacturing site, supported by a dedicated work force of over 100 staff. This operation positions Malaysia not only as a key production base but

Since its debut in Malaysia in early 2025, Jetour has expanded its foot print swiftly, establishing over 20 retail outlets across the country. The introduction of local produc tion is expected to significantly improve delivery lead times and enhance product value for Malaysian consumers. This is seen as a critical move as Jetour ramps up its localisa tion efforts to meet growing market demand.