KATHMANDU: About three months after its debut in Malaysia, Proton's first electric vehicle (EV) – the e.MAS 7 – has made its way into the Nepali auto market.
The EV will be available in the Prime and Premium variants with colours of Platinum Silver, Turquoise Green, Slate Grey, Quarts Rose, Moyu Black and Lithium White.
To date, the e.MAS 7 has secured some 4,500 orders in Malaysia and deliveries had exceeded the 1,000th-unit mark in the first two months' of launch.
Building on the strong local reception for the e.MAS 7 in Malaysia, Proton is capitalising on Nepal's rapid expanding EV sector that has grown nine-fold over the past few years.
Over the past four years, the EV penetration rate in Nepal has increased from 6% of its total industry volume (TIV) in 2021 to a significant 73% in 2024, equivalent to a nine-fold increase from 1,138 units to 10,794 units during that period.
Proton said its entry to Nepal's EV market is timely and aligns well with the country's Green Mobility Vision and its shift toward sustainable transportation.
In addition, Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) has pledged to establish over 300 charging stations across the country within the next three years in a move to boost EV adoption and reduce reliance on fossil fuels.
Proton's authorised distributor in Nepal, Jagdamba Motors Pvt Ltd which is operated by the Shanker Group, is actively increasing its dealers from the current three to 12 by the end of the year.
(From left) Shanker Group chairman Shanker Lal Agrawal; Charge d' Affaires of Malaysia in Nepal Mohd Firdaus Azman and Dr Li.
Before the Nepali launch, Proton had conducted a media product appraisal of the e.MAS 7 in February and a national tour of the EV in a Nepali-themed wrap that showed national symbols and Himalayan scenery from Feb 21 to March 14.
The tour covered all seven Nepali provinces with over 18 stops including famous places like Janakpur, Birtamod and Itahari.
Some 50 units of the e.MAS 7 were shipped to Nepal in February ahead of the launch.
The campaign also successfully engaged the public through social media, increasing the number of followers to over 27,000 on the company’s social media pages as of early March.
Proton chief executive officer Dr Li Chunrong said Nepal was just the beginning of the export market for the e.MAS 7.
"Plans are already in motion to introduce the e.MAS 7 to other international markets to support the brand’s global growth ambitions.
"This expansion strengthens Proton’s position as a forward-looking automotive leader while building new customer relationships worldwide.
"Going forward, we will be bringing our EV model to Trinidad & Tobago, Mauritius as well as Singapore,” said Dr Li.
