Perodua QV-E, Perodua’s first electric vehicle (EV), and Malaysia’s first fully homegrown EV, the company claims was launched recently. Priced at RM80,000 on the road and without insurance, it also debuts a new ownership model, where buyers own the car but lease the battery from Perodua.
In an earlier report by NST, Perodua’s president and chief executive officer Datuk Seri Zainal Abidin Ahmad mentioned that the EV, codenamed eMO, will initially be over 30 per cent locally produced at a new factory in Sungai Choh in Rawang, Selangor,
Production will start at a rate of 500 units a month in the new battery EV plant, Zainal told a press conference after unveiling the EV prototype – presented in a half-cut form – at the Malaysian Autoshow 2025 (MAS 2025).
Perodua hopes to increase the local content to over 60 per cent after a few months of production with the localisation of critical components, he added.
Perodua first introduced the eMO-II concept at the Kuala Lumpur International Mobility Show (KLIMS) late last year.
The eMO-II five-door hatchback from KLIMS has morphed into a small B-segment SUV at MAS 2025.
In February, Perodua floated a possible RM80,000 starting price for the company’s EV, but without the battery.
Zainal said the EV is targeted at the younger buyers and small families, enabling them to enjoy an affordable electric ride.
He now confirmed that Perodua EV will offer Battery-as-a-Service (BaaS) battery leasing, a first in Malaysia.
The battery is a lithium iron phosphate unit sourced from CATL, with a target range of between 400km and 410km.
The performance target is a 0-100 km/h time of between six and seven seconds and top speed of around 165 km/h.
“The battery will be leased to buyers. The ‘rental’ fee is the minimum, and based on surveys by Perodua, many are in favour of this method,” Zainal said.
