According to an engine production statistics table published by MarkLines, an auto industry information portal based in Japan, Lotus appears to be developing a new 1.2 litre SOHC three-cylinder petrol engine. More interestingly, 514 of these engines are said to have been made in 2015, fitted to the Proton Iriz – for internal testing purposes, we assume.
The table above, which was pointed out to us by reader, Aero, specifically shows that a 1.2 litre “RHEV” type engine – likely based on Proton’s new line of engines announced recently – has been developed at the car maker’s production facility in Hethel. We can’t say for sure what the term RHEV here refers to, but it does sound like a reference to a range extender (REx) system.
Range extenders generally serve purely as an on-board generator, so to speak. They are commonly used by all-electric vehicles to supplementarily charge their traction batteries. Like in the BMW i3, the optional REx system does not drive the wheels directly.
If anything, this reminds us of the Proton Emas concept which was previewed at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show. Also equipped with a 1.2 litre three-cylinder petrol Lotus Range Extender, the original Proton Emas powertrain utilised a single electric motor, delivering 75 kW (100 hp) peak and 45 kW (60 hp) continuous power outputs.
It is equipped with a 11.5 kWh lithium-polymer traction battery which has a discharge capability of over 100 kW. Lotus says that the battery can be recharged via your domestic 220 to 240-volt AC power outlets. Recharging times have not been revealed.
The Emas Concept’s range extender, the 1.2 litre three-cylinder engine, is said to be optimised between two power generation points, giving 15 kW of electrical power at 1,500 rpm and 35 kW at 3,500 rpm. This energy it sent to the traction battery via an integrated electrical generator.
Proton is not short of experience with range extender engines. In 2010, we were given a brief drive of the Proton Exora REEV concept. The electric MPV was equipped with a 400 cc, 50 hp rotary engine range extender.
It’s no secret that Proton is developing several models based on its Iriz hatchback – one of which has been rumoured to be its first all-electric production vehicle. Is a Proton Iriz Hybrid, potentially an EV with a petrol range extender also in the local carmaker’s plans? Time will tell.
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Time will tell… by 2020 Proton will just announce the product OR start launching the new engine? But time AP system owners will find new way to implement new taxes to Malaysia aka bolehland (multiple tax system)?
pass ….
Better for Proton to just close shop as even the normal Iriz has become a big Failure. Better for the rakyat and better for the Government as the Government has been pumping too much of money to Proton despite being in Private Hands few years now.
Yesterday it was announced Proton struggling with RM2.5 billion debts incurred the past 3 years. Now, Proton is asking Government to give them FREE RM1.5 billion of our money to keep the company afloat.
People are scared to buy a car no matter how cheap from a company that may go bust whatmore an EEV Iriz. You see, all this while, because of Mahathir, sales have been good. As we all know, 90% of Proton sales actually go to the Government.
Last year Proton sold 100,000 cars. In reality, only about 10% we bought by the public. The bulk of the purchase was bought by various government departments and ministries, enforcement divisions (customs, immigresen, pdrm, UTK etc) and other organisations such as Bomba, TUDM, TLDM, KDRM, Tabung Haji, Risda etc etc
Now, Mahathir got problem with the Government. In retaliation and in spite, they even sacked him from Petronas.
It is a matter of time before he is sacked from Proton too by the Government. Even if they don’t sack him, they will make sure they will cut down on Government orders just to get back at him. Payback time. They know Proton is his cherished baby. It is the best way to kena him.
How to survive for Proton? Proton, with Mahathir’s help can only sell 100,000 cars. Now, with orders possibly cut, there will be a big problem. How to feed the 30,000 Proton staff??
Proton has one of the largest staffing of any car manufacturer in the world.
The rakyat also will be saying “I dare not buy anything from a company that is hanging on a thread. No money means compromise in quality and safety ie definitely use 2nd grade parts”
Now Malaysians also scared. Warranty might be 5 years but the company might not even be there to even honour that warranty”
Better for Proton to just close shop. The RM1.5 billion loan it is asking for is to just waste to keep Proton afloat and to pay the jokers at Lotus to also keep Lotus afloat.
Better for you to apply as columnist at Paultan. Or better yet, not.
You always write long without any substance. Keep harping on the same issue. Keep complaining this and that without any constructive ideas.
Move on la. Get a Toyota from Sam Loo and be done with it.
Want to support Proton? Give ‘donation’ lah
The Malaysian driven Iriz was test in winter Europe. To maintain same testing procedure, the Iriz hybrid is currently tested at planet Mars. Matt Damon didn’t bring it back during his last trip.
How stupid. Test in winter. Come to Malaysia, with our super hot weather, the battery will letup. Then another Exora in the making. Ikan bakar free
So what Lotus facility is there so the test, duh. Go and bash bimmer for being real cremation
It’s not like you can do it better…nobody is perfect remember?.Not even me…don’t judge something….
Not sure at your place, but at my place the goverment agencies, or any workplace that related to government seldom buy Proton as office cars. The only government agencies, the PDRM bought Inspira as their daily patrol car. The fact only Inspira models used from Proton brand. Other cars such as Nissan X-trail, Toyota Fortuner or even Hilux used to replace the aging Saga Police patrol cars. Other agencies include Toyota Prado, Ford Ranger and Ford Everest used to replace the aging Isuzu Trooper. I actually see some Nissan Grand Livina, Nissan Navara, Isuzu D-Max and Toyota Innova with Gov logos but nope very seldom, but sometime rarely sees, a Proton used by the Gov. Non-government agencies tends to opt for Nissan, Hyundai, Toyota or Ford of which models include the Navara, Livina, i10, Fortuner, Ranger and Everest. The fact I live in Sarawak probably the reason why 4×4 became the main option of buying vehicles. So the 10% Proton bought from customer may be invalid as there are a lot more personal Proton cars compared to gov Proton cars.
This hybrid project is funded with government grant 500Juta.
Lotus is just a burden on Proton. Proton lost RM2.5 billion in the last 3 years. Every month, it is losing RM25 million. So much of money spent to buy Lotus and to sustain Lotus. No wonder why Proton is losing so much of money.
Does Proton know or not that this EEV engine won’t sell in volumes to recoup the cost spent? At the most, may 100 units per year. Even Hybrid, Malaysians are so sceptical, you think EEV people will buy in volumes?
Now Proton begs Government to give them free RM1.5 billion. Money that belongs to you and me. Why keep Lotus? just want to syiok sendiri and tell the world that we own Lotus? And to syiok sendiri and put Lotus Engineered badge on Protons?
Hello Proton, you are losing RM25 mil a months lah!!!!
Wah same lorrrr since when you changed your name? Lol
Doom to fail coz electricity is as costly as petrol yet the car price is higher than petrol engine. Who would chunk out more money for this outdated yet so called proton high-tech and doesn’t help u save any in the long run? Or maybe we are thinking too much as we know this product may just die in the so called RnD development.
If not later you say p1 is far behind pulak. Why you dun other automakers for being involved in EV research and race? Topkek
Mehh.
I don’t know why Proton engineers cannot come out with their own EV engine? Proton employs over 1000 engineers. All sit and goyang kaki. What are they there for?
now Proton, which is bleeding money, got to pay super high British Sterling expat fees to Lotus engineers to develop such engines.
The best part, Tesla is offering all designs, patents and knowhow FREE OF CHARGE to anyone in the world to develop the most perfect EV car. That also, the Proton engineers cannot do. Just take, copy and build.
No need fictious R&D and no need to spend hundreds of millions paying Lotus staff.
Eh you also goyang kaki here using office hour roaming on PT. I wont hire you if i am da boss
Boeing and Airbus have thousands of engineers too but they don’t develop their own engines for their passenger planes.
NASA has thousands of scientists and engineers but still outsources the development of sensor suites and control systems to external equipment vendors.
So what’s your point? Or you have no point but just want to proudly display your stupidity to the whole world?
Jual Lotus & Proton, Close case.
What ever type or model of proton, still bad RV! Bad campro engine
Campro vvt 1.6l is more fuel saver than 1nz-fe 1.5l
RedHat Enterprise Virtualization
Proton again? loss RM25m perday.. No hope.. Proton can’t reach RM100K unit sales this year. keep my word. Buy Toyota better!
Haha… swallow your own word…
RM25m per day is too hyperbola.. and RM100k unit??? RM or UNIT??
We will mark your words Same L0rr. 2 units of Proton Iriz sales will also exceed your RM100K sales this year =P
Your Toyota was overtaken by Honda last year as well. So you are even not number 1 for non-national car brand
RHEV => Retrofit Hybrid Electric Vehicle
Honda civic/jazz/crz are examples of series hybrid system, where electric motor is sandwiched between engine and transmission.
Proton’s range extended system is not new in automotive world. It is known as parallel system (the reason engine is not driving any wheels) and has been in used in Chevrolet Volt/Vauxhall Ampera.
Even top gear UK trio has created a car based on such concept – called the Geoff – i., using chassis from a TVR Chimaera as base platform. That car was even reviewed by Autocar UK magazine with test reports published as well. Disappointing results I may say. One of the stigs dies while testing the car.
Toyota on the other hand combined both systems in the Prius hybrid cars (parallel-series) – a system which it began R&D in the early 1990s. The first time Prius was introduced in 1997
Where the hell is Perdana..? It’s already the end of Q1.. Proton, if you can’t deliver your promise to your home market, how can your deliver your promise to international market..? Then, how can you be the main player in global market..?
Tun shud get his wealthy friends to invest
Others develop hybrid, pipu praise to heaven.
P1 develop hybrid, pipu bash to hell.
“”Malaysian pipu””
Range-extender Hybrid Electric Vehicle?
What caught my attention are the words SECRETLY DEVELOPING PROTON IRIZ HYBRID. “Production of Hybrid cars” is more than 12 years old thus being secret about it makes me LOL.
Totally nothing wrong with the statement.
Proton Iriz was not publicly known to have a future hybrid version. The “secret” is in this context, not otherwise.
Understanding the context first before commenting may save you red blushes in the future.
You do know that there’s not just a single type of hybrid tech and currently there are still a lot of challenges at getting hybrid cars to get to the desired level of power density, power recovery rate, etc. right?
Oh I guess you don’t, that’s why you’re just bashing like a typical armchair keyboard warrior. Leave engineering to the engineers, please.
I find it absolutely shocking that Proton is doing this. They always want to bite more than can chew. Instead of focussing on building good and competent cars for the local market and export and pricing them competitively in segments that matter, they focus on trends that are still somewhat emerging,
The big carmakers do it because they have the economies of scale to divert resources to emerging tech..that’s why u dont see the smaller guys like Mazda jumping on the bandwagon..because in the here and the now..gasoline engines still reign..and they still will a decade from now as it takes a lot of time to get a reliable infrastructure for Electric to be up..
I understand we should always look towards the future and be prepared,,but if your present state is still very much in doubt, it’s where one should be putting their resources into… Proton’s not far from making competent cars..it’s unfortunate that they have this need to ‘tunjuk power’ all the time…it’s always been their downfall since the early days..
Most Mazda is underpower crampy car
“Lotus secretly developing Proton Iriz hybrid engine?”
Them Proton expect other brands to shiver with this headline.
Ok… at least the Lotus plant is doing something for Proton so it’s a good thing right? Right? No? They are helping each other.
What matters now is… just show us the EV now! 514 engines ain’t a small amount. Keep it up and launch it before the Hybrid CHR comes and wipe everything out.
Secretly developing WHAT..?! Talk of hibrid n range extender has been around for so long… n there’s nothing to show… now talk of more secret development… bla bla bla… tell the truth… P1 mgmt is in a stump in revitalising its own models… they’re just playing trial n error n look to see what sticks… even now with over 20 different models and engine configurations… n over 3 months stock not selling… need to learn to keep it simple n lean!
TunM’s idea for a global small car but he himself unable to sell it globally. P1 mgmt n its adviser/chairman or whatever are idiots but unwilling to admit it… should give themselves a swift hard kick in their own butt!
P1 not a giant company, limited capital
514 engine were made…? Seems sting odd to build such high number of engines for testing, usually its in the tens only, a couple for each different weather environment…. Im doubting the number… But actually, every brand do alot of testing for things that dont make it to production… Just bcos we kno they made it its not a proof of sting, they might use a couple of technologies or patents somewhere else…. Still.,its interesting… Btw, whatever happened to that program where they gave the G few electric cars for usage n testing?
Strange thing is, some hate rebrand. But when you get lotus to design, isn’t it rebrand? If Proton can do it, why put it under lotus?
Lotus is 100% P1-owned. Meanwhile bashers dun bash on toyota rebadging Mazda2 or Suzuki Ertiga, or Mesidis rebadging Navara, or Renault rebadging Sylphy as Fluence, or P2 rebadging from Daihatsu old stocks. RBA topkeks
because mazda, suzuki, mercedes, renault , and perodua dont ask for billions of taxpayer money from malaysian government every year in the form of RnD grants.
Other companies also receive grants, so what?
other companies produce good cars. hyundai/kia produce their own 5 liter v8, 8 speed auto gearbox, and are now ranked 4th globally by volumne. what has proton accomplish ?
Ramai yang sakit hati.
GO GO PROTON
It was Lotus who helped build the CamPro over a decade back, I have no doubts about their capabilities. If Proton had not been so devastated by the 1997 financial crisis, they would have had enough cash reserves to complete the CamPro project then and there with the 2001 Waja. Well, no use debating that now, we can’t change the past… but we can change the future. I wish Lotus and Proton (and also Ricardo) all the best with their new engines. And thanks Paul & Chris for the shout-out, I appreciate it !