Malaysia Launches Local Electric Car Not Rebudge And Costs IDR 300 Million

Perodua QV-E is an electric car developed by Malaysian engineers. (Photo: Paultan)

JAKARTA The Perodua officially introduced their first electric car, QV-E, which is an important milestone for the Malaysian automotive industry. This model is not the result of a rebudge, but an electric vehicle developed directly by Malaysian engineers.

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim called the launch of QV-E a major step towards the independence of national automotive technology.

Perodua QV-E (abbreviation from Quest for Visionary Electric Vehicle) is offered at a price of 80,000 ringgit or around Rp. 322 million.

This price does not include batteries, because Perodua applies a subscription system, as reported by Paultan, Monday, December 1. Vehicle owners need to pay for battery rentals of 275 ringgit per month, or the equivalent of IDR 1.1 million.

For performance, QV-E is equipped with an electric motorbike measuring 150 kW with a torque of 285 Nm that drives the front wheels. The acceleration is said to be capable of reaching 0100 km/h in 7.5 seconds.

The energy source comes from a lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery with a capacity of 52.5 kWh from CATL. Once fully charged, this car is capable of traveling up to 445 km based on NEDC testing.

The charging of the battery is also quite flexible. With a fast charging DC of 60 kW, filling from 30 percent to 80 percent only takes about 30 minutes. If using a 6.6 kW AC charge, the time required to fill in is up to eight hours.

The interior of QV-E comes with a modern feel through the use of electric driver seats, ambient lights, and a 10.25-inch infotainment display that supports Apple CarPlay and wireless Android Auto. Wireless charging devices and tire pressure monitors also complement the driver's convenience features.

In terms of safety, QV-E is equipped with a series of ADAS features, including a new technology called Child Presence Detection (CPD). This system utilizes millimeter waves to detect movement or breathing in the back seat.

If the car is temporarily turned off the CPD detects the presence of a child or pet, the vehicle will issue a warning in the form of horns and lights. In addition, there are SOS buttons that are integrated with emergency services. The launch of QV-E marks a change in the Perodua strategy.

So far, the company is known to rely on models developed with other brands. Now, QV-E is proof that Perodua is starting to seriously develop electricity technology independently, although it still cooperates with global partners such as CATL for batteries and Magna Steyr as a consultant for the EV platform.