Aside from talking about new model delays, the Hong Leong Investment Bank (HLIB) research article on Proton also briefly covered the topic of electric vehicles, The Edge reported. According to the bank’s analyst Daniel Wong, the national carmaker will likely dive straight into full EVs, which will go on sale by 2027.
Wong added that Proton will only make a “minor stepping stone” to the hybrid segment, which we take to mean mild hybrids. This runs counter to what deputy CEO Roslan Abdullah said in November, which is that the company’s electrification roadmap will also include plug-in hybrids.
We’ve known that mild hybrid Protons have been on the radar for some time, as the company showcased a 1.5 litre TGDi engine with a 48-volt belt-driven starter generator (BSG) at its Centre of Excellence (COE) showroom around the same time Roslan made his announcement.
This mill is already being used in the Geely Azkarra (Boyue Pro) and Okavango (Haoyue) in the Philippines and produces 190 PS and 300 Nm. We’re expecting the engine to make its debut in a new seven-seater SUV based on the Okavango, widely tipped to be called the X90. It will likely debut next year, as Proton’s focus on addressing its supply issues and backlog of orders have pushed its product timeline back.
As for the eventual EV, Proton has no shortage of donor cars to use as base, not least the Geometry range of “affordable” electric models. By 2027, Geely will also have a full lineup of EVs based on the Sustainable Electric Architecture (SEA) – including the smart #1 that Proton Edar will sell in Malaysia in the near future.
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