Earlier this month, Proton previewed its first electric vehicle, the eMas 7 (stylised as e.MAS 7), developed concurrently with the Geely Galaxy E5 twin. Now it’s been announced that the SUV will make its first public appearance during the National Day parade on August 31 ahead of its launch at the end of the year.
As part of the celebrations, the pre-production prototype will be sporting special camouflage – still plastered front-to-back with greetings in several languages (hinting at the car’s possible global aspirations), but with the Jalur Gemilang colours of red, blue, yellow and white, rather than the gradated blue to dark grey as seen during the media preview.
“While celebrating our past, Proton is also mindful to look ahead into the future of the automotive industry,” said CEO Li Chunrong. “Hence, we took the decision to include the Proton eMas 7 in our parade lineup, though it has not been launched, to allow everyone to get a closer look at the company’s first EV model. As the model is not the final production vehicle, it will be displayed wearing camouflage, but in the National Day spirit, we have chosen colours that represent Malaysia’s flag.”
The eMas 7 will form part of a 25-car contingent showing the national carmaker’s progress over its 41-year history, taking a break from its usual (and very public) durability, charging, driving and software testing programmes. The brigade will also include the original Saga from 1985 as well as the recently-facelifted 2025 X70.
Based on the Global Modular Architecture (GMA), the eMas 7 is set to feature a 12-in-1 motor with a claimed 90.04% efficiency and a lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery utilising Aegis “short blade” battery cells. It will also utilise a Flyme Auto infotainment system powered by a 7 nm chip.
No specs have been released just yet, but the Galaxy E5 in China is offered with a single front motor producing 218 PS (160 kW) and 320 Nm of torque, getting it from zero to 100 km/h in 6.9 seconds. Two battaery capacities are available in the Middle Kingdom – the 49.52 kWh version has a CLTC range of 440 km, while the 60.22 kWh unit is claimed to be able to travel up to 530 km. Expect the eMas 7 to share the same mechanicals.
GALLERY: Proton eMas 7 previewed in Malaysia
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