Perodua teases “bold concepts” for Malaysia Autoshow – final eMO-III before production EV launch?

Perodua teases “bold concepts” for Malaysia Autoshow – final eMO-III before production EV launch?

The Malaysia Autoshow returns this weekend, and alongside the usual array of new model launches will be a number of “bold concepts” from Perodua. The national carmaker is teasing future-ready smart mobility as the theme of its stand, which is a heavy hint at its forthcoming electrification.

It’s no secret the company is planning to launch its first production electric vehicle at the end of the year – in fact, we’ve already seen a prototype roaming the roads. Since 2023, the company has shown an eMO (Electric Motion Online) concept at every Malaysian motor show, starting with a scale model at that year’s Malaysia Autoshow, followed by the functional eMO-I (essentially a Myvi with electric running gear) last year.

Then at the Kuala Lumpur International Mobility Show (KLIMS) in December, Perodua unveiled the full-scale (and very green) eMO-II show car, and while it was definitely closer to production compared to its predecessors, in terms of detailing it was still more fanciful than realistic.

Perhaps the company is showcasing a close-to-production concept called the eMO-III as a proper preview of the car that people will actually be able to buy (although this would deviate from Perodua itself calling the production model “Episode 3”)?

We’re expecting the eMO-III to carry cues from both the eMO-II (left)
and the production model (mule on right)

If so, we can expect such a car to feature some of the details seen on the test mule last weekend, including split headlights, flush pop-out front and hidden rear door handles, fast rear windscreen rake and proper taillights (we knew that thin light bar wasn’t reaching production). We may also see a more realistic interior that isn’t festooned with screens and an iPad (and with a centre touchscreen that isn’t obscured by the steering wheel).

Few technical details have been revealed just yet, but initial specs released at KLIMS include a zero-to-100 km/h sprint time of between six and seven seconds, as well as a range of between 400 to 410 km from a CATL-sourced lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery. Perodua says it will initially import the battery and motor but plans to eventually assemble these components in-house.

The company has also floated a possible RM80,000 starting price without the battery, which it said may be offered through a subscription. As reported previously, the car will be Perodua’s first to be developed entirely in-house, as its usual partner Daihatsu does not have a suitable EV for it to crib notes (and powertrain) from.

The final production car is set to square off against Proton’s also-upcoming entry-level EV, widely tipped to be called the eMas 5 and also set to go on sale at the end of the year. We’re anticipating that car, expected to be based on the Geely Xingyuan or Star Wish, to also make an appearance at the show, meaning that buyers may well be able to see the two competing models, probably opposite each other. Which are you more interested in? Sound off in the comments after the jump.

GALLERY: Perodua eMO EV spyshots


GALLERY: Perodua eMO-II concept at KLIMS 2024

Looking to sell your car? Sell it with Carro.

Certified Pre-Owned - 1 Year Warranty

10% discount when you renew your car insurance

Compare prices between different insurer providers and use the promo code 'PAULTAN10' when you make your payment to save the most on your car insurance renewal compared to other competing services.

Car Insurance

Jonathan Lee

After trying to pursue a career in product design, Jonathan Lee decided to make the sideways jump into the world of car journalism instead. He therefore appreciates the aesthetic appeal of a car, but for him, the driving experience is still second to none.

 

Comments

  • Beroktua Emo lagi best on May 05, 2025 at 8:04 pm

    Should we wait for eMO-IV, V, VI, VII, X?

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 8 Thumb down 0
    • opmanmy on May 06, 2025 at 8:30 am

      Wait till the price is below 60k with battery…then baru can consider. Otherwise, 80k w/o battery is essentially an overpriced EV.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 9 Thumb down 1
      • Agreed. First Perodua say price between 50k to 100k, then Perodua say below 90k(means 80k+ la), then earlier this year Perodua say 80k BUT without battery. Means price including battery would be 120k~150k for a Myvi size EV.

        We can see that Perodua is increasing the total car price every time simply because they can. This is due to the min 100k EV price imposed by the Gov on foreign EVs. Thus, all the vendors in Perodua supply chain including Perodua themselves jack up the price, aka Profiteering.

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 4 Thumb down 2
    • Celup King on May 06, 2025 at 9:49 am

      Jus another CKD from a Daihatsu rebadge by our celup king. NEXT!!!

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 5
  • Najib on May 06, 2025 at 12:12 am

    Malaysia car always tease tease few years until china already launch dont know how many version of facelift dy

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 7 Thumb down 2
  • Production model looks like a jack up Axia. As like Axia is not ugly enough.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 4
  • Raynold on May 06, 2025 at 11:51 am

    This will not hit 100,000 sales per year.

    but it can compete against BYD Dolphin EV, MG4 EV, Nissan Kicks 1.2EV, Ora GoodCat EV, Chery E5 EV, DongFeng Box EV, NETA V EV.

    let’s go Malaysia Autoshow 2025 to see them.
    https://autoshow.my/
    9th to 15th May, 2025
    >500,000sqft, the largest autoshow. certified.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 4 Thumb down 0
 

Add a comment

required

required