Proton to launch its first EV very soon – second EV to follow after 6-8 months; rebadged Geely Geometry?

Proton CEO Li Chunrong has revealed the company is set to launch its own-brand electric vehicle (EV) “very soon.” This echoes what was said by Proton chairman Datuk Seri Syed Faisal Albar during the launch of the S70 last November, suggesting the carmaker is on track to meet the ministry of international trade and industry’s (MITI) expectations.

As a brief recap, MITI previously said the government is optimistic that Proton and Perodua can produce the first national electric vehicle (EV) by 2025, which is a target revealed by deputy MITI minister Liew Chin Tong in parliament.

A twist in the tale is Li saying in his welcome speech that Proton will be launching not one, but two EVs, with the second said to arrive between six to eight months after the first. The Proton CEO withheld from sharing further details for now.

Proton has done an EV before in the form of an Iriz prototype more than eight years ago, although that project never led to a series production model. Given the 2025 EV target for Proton (and Perodua) was set sometime in November 2023, it’s a rather open-ended discussion on what Proton’s first EV might be with such a supposedly tight timeline.

Could it be an all-electric version of an existing model currently on sale or will it be a re-engineered version of something that Geely already has in its line-up? On the latter, Geely’s Geometry line-up has some appropriate candidates like the A, C, E and Panda. Which of the two routes do you think Proton will go with? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.

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