KUALA LUMPUR: After much anticipation Perodua officially launches its first battery electric vehicle (BEV).
The model named QV-E, which stands for “Quest for Visionary Electric Vehicle”, is positioned to target middle-income earners and above, additional car buyer or replacement car buyer for daily use or weekend trips.
It is priced at RM80,000 without insurance. The BEV's battery isn't included in the price either as it is for lease - under the concept known as ‘Battery as a Service’ whereby the car’s body is sold separately from the battery.
Buyers will be required to lease the QV-E's battery at RM275 per-month for up to nine years, after which the battery is officially theirs. Said payment will be factored into the monthly installment of the vehicle without additional charges such as interest.
Payment of leasing also stops for the buyer when they sell their QV-E back to Perodua, after which the second owner will continue the remaining years of the leasing tenure - an example, the battery will be theirs after four years assuming the first owner sold the car by the fifth year.
A new battery can be leased for nine years should they decide to change their old battery post-leasing period or after the nine-year warranty has expired.
The battery itself is a 52.5kW Lithium Iron Phosphate and has a range capacity of up to 445KM (NEDC).
It comes in two colours that is Ice Blue and Caviar Grey, and is only available at selected Perodua outlets. Additionally the BEV hosts the latest in safety features including a Child Presence Detection (CPD) system.
Costing RM800 million and 28 months to develop, the BEV is produced at Perodua’s newest manufacturing facility named the Smart Mobility Plant.
Perodua president and chief executive officer Datuk Sri Zainal Abidin Ahmad said the company is able to produce 500 units a month for now and will be able to offer 3,000 units a month by the third quarter of 2026.
“All the features within the QV-E were created with the latest functionality, advanced safety and comfort in mind based on a detailed study conducted by our Research and Development (R&D) department.
“Ultimately, this model is the outcome of Malaysians coming together to create something uniquely ours, from design to engineering, the QV-E offers a path all of us can benefit from,” said Zainal.
Led by the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI) and supported by various ministries and government agencies, Perodua was appointed by prime minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim on September 2023 (as part of the New Industrial Master Plan 2030) to champion and lead the local automotive manufacturers in developing the EV ecosystem.
Zainal said the company is aggressively working with local vendors to localise the components to over 50% by early 2026 and to 70% by 2030.
So far, a total of 52 Malaysian companies supply auto components for QV-E and are looking to increase the number to 70 vendors within 5 years or by 2030.
“The support given to us by the government has been instrumental in revolutionising the Malaysian EV ecosystem and at the same time placing great attention to quality, reliability and the latest in digital technology.
“This concept is our solution towards reducing owner’s anxiety when owning a battery electric vehicle. By offering this service we will be able to offer a lifetime guarantee on the battery for our customers’ peace of mind,” Zainal added.
