It has gone somewhat under the radar, but the third national car project is quietly progressing in the background. According to entrepreneur development minister Datuk Seri Mohd Redzuan Md Yusof, the government is currently in the final phase of deciding the strategic partner for the new national car project (NNCP), reported by Bernama.
The minister said that the partnership, to be inked soon, would be announced by prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad. “I can’t disclose much about it yet. Just wait and see,” he told the media.
He did however stress that the NNCP will be private sector-driven and would not use public funds, adding that the ministry’s role was just to help the project gain traction. “We do not want to have to bail them out when there is trouble,” he said.
Redzuan said that so far, 145 local vendors had shown interest in the project and the type of car would be an extended-range vehicle. “We are now in an era when anyone can build cars like Dyson, for example. We are on the right track and this project is not about taking Proton’s position. It is just to push (forward) our capabilities,” he added.
This is not the first time that an “extended-range vehicle” has been mentioned. It’s another name for range extender EVs, as opposed to full battery electric vehicles such as Teslas and the Nissan Leaf. The “range extender” in question is an internal combustion engine, which powers an electric generator when the batteries are out of juice, hence the range extender moniker.
Back in August 2018, before the official NNCP announcement, Mahathir said that Malaysia will be seeking assistance from Japanese automakers for the third national car project, and he name-dropped Nissan and Toyota then.
Currently, Nissan has range extender EVs on the market. The Nissan Note e-Power – on sale in Japan since late 2016 and displayed at KLIMS 2018 by Edaran Tan Chong Motor – is technically an EV, but there’s no socket for plug-in charging like the Nissan Leaf.
Instead, there’s a 79 PS/103 Nm 1.2 litre three-cylinder engine acting solely as a generator for the 109 PS/254 Nm electric motor from the previous Leaf. The petrol engine is not connected to the driven wheels, so this isn’t like the hybrids that we know. Nissan says that the e-Power system provides the benefits of an electric motor – such as maximum torque from standstill – without the accompanying range anxiety.
Nissan is also one of the more advanced carmakers when it comes to autonomous tech (read more on its ProPilot tech here) and “semi-autonomous” was mentioned in the NNCP announcement. Could we be looking at a Nissan-backed third national car with e-Power and ProPilot tech? At this point, the dots do seem to connect.
GALLERY: Nissan Note e-Power at KLIMS 2018
Looking to sell your car? Sell it with Carro.
“We are now in an era when anyone can build cars like Dyson, for example.
Yeah please get that guy (minister) who wants to challenge Malaysian to not question the first flying car in Malaysia using KTK fan and now kinda shut up about it. How brilliant guy he is.
Cukurr la ckit oii… Taubat laa jika prasangka buruk
Please cukur with your OWN money oii! Not MY money oii!
Deswai common pipu no buy pinkdiamond,
you gotta be kidding me…the wastage starts….
corruption and abuse power in wastage is same damages…
First of all, making cars are not easy. Sure, everyone can do it. But not all can sustain it in the long run.
My suggestion is to use the readily available free EV patents by Tesla and Toyota. No need to start from the ground up. Become an EV manufacturer in South East Asia.
Nissan or Toyota konfem laku keras!!
Terbaik gahmen! Malaysia hidup lestari
lol! Sorry lah, Nissan is not joining this electile dysfunction party (paultan.org/2019/01/25/nissan-picks-thailand-to-build-new-ev-production-hub/).
And Toyota doesn’t have any REEV vehicles for P3 to use. This is bullshitting talk to fool dumb citizen.
REEV vehicles from india surely more superior for P3 to use. Malaysians now so used to robust dependable indian cars. Many REEV vehicles from india commercially in sale now manufactured by Mahindra & TATA.
Mahindra e2oPlus.
Mahindra e-Verito.
Mahindra e-KUV 100.
Tata Tigor Electric.
Tata Tiago Electric
I guess only got 2 viable range extenders in the market. Nissan e-power and BMW i-series. i wonder which one we are going after.
And they are wondering why they got so low in approval rating.
Proton Iriz EV should be the Game changer here.
Yes but sadly the Iriz have game over as there is no more news about it. Sad but true…
Whatever type of hybrid cars you need, all are in the toyota Prius. Mild hybrid, full hybrid, series hybrid, parallel system, range extended. You name it.
Proton already had a range extended prototype some 7-8 years back under the name of Saga REEV and exora REEV. Didn’t know what happens to both programs now after winning award in UK.
On the other hand, GM has an excellent range extender EV known as Vauxhall Ampera / Chevrolet Volt.
Good choice. EV is not suitable for hot climate country like us. Lets see how the company go bankrupt in 5 years. Just ask any hybrid owner in malaysia , they will understand what i said. You need power to run the A/C in malaysia, esp during JAM traffic in KL. All the battery juice will be eaten by the air con.
a rebadge Nissan leaf?
Range extender by private sector. I can buy that. But pleeeeease, no preferential tax.
No Please no…
Just lower current car price and spend more money on EV Charging Points will do…
You say third party now… but you will end up bailing up them later…
No….to Protiga…NO
Proton is no more a national car. So this one is kind of replacement for Proton?
bukan flying car ke?
Pick Geely! Then can shut up those haters that scorn them for not wanting to bring in Geometry here.
Then govt also will commit more to EV infrastructure, excellent ways to encourage much more EV players to come.
So its a LPG-powered flying drone car with extender EV drivetrain. Wah, this is so innovative nobody has ever thought about possibly making this except for clowns in the Cabinet.
Must be not from PROTON and DRB HICOM. Otherwise no point for 3rd National Car.
Only range extender? Please don’t do it. Save taxpayer money from the engineering nightmare and long months of recalls.
I really do not get these stupid range extenders that doesn’t allow plug in charging. Can’t they just make an EV that can be charged externally and have a gasoline generator onboard?
This way we only use petrol when necessary, other times can be on zero emissions.
That also have to tell meh??
Belajar tinggi-tinggi bodoh bertingkat-tingkat!
PHEV normally bigger battery, so more expensive & heavy than non-PHEV model.
proton has developed an EV car which is the Saga and Iriz. Why do you still need another 3rd National car to work on EV cars? Since proton has started the project, just let them complete it. It’s something fishy that the government need to engage another party to do it.
Toyota got Range Extender model meh?
Government????? Wasn’t this supposed to be 100% private project ????
Has anyone seen this ? Malaysia has REEV back in 2014 but it was killed off because of politics . What not get that into mass production ? https://paultan.org/2014/09/27/proton-preve-reev/
Nope. It was way back in 2010
https://paultan.org/2010/11/08/best-range-extender-ev-award-for-proton-exora-hybrid-at-rac-future-car-challenge-uk/
Wow.. Daddykasi can be great agaian after rejected by Li Cun Rong