KUALA LUMPUR: Perusahaan Otomobil Kedua Sdn Bhd (Perodua) says that if it ventures into electric vehicle (EV), it will be a pure EV and not a plug-in hybrid EV.
"If we venture into EV, it will be a full-fledged, proper EV," Perodua president and chief executive officer Datuk Zainal Abidin Ahmad said at the launch of the new Perodua Alza by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob here today.
Zainal, however, suggested that an EV venture by Perodua would not come any soon as he said such vehicles still required market and customer research, while the driving habit would also need to change.
Meanwhile, Ismail Sabri urged Perodua and national utility company Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB) to form a partnership in introducing affordable EV charging rates for the people.
The prime minister said TNB was currently working to increase its energy production by using renewable energy sources and providing adequate EV charging stations.
"At the same time, Perodua can use this opportunity by exploring new fields such as producing high-quality EVs that Malaysian families can afford. In fact, telecommunication companies like Telekom Malaysia can also work with these two parties to provide data package that will enable users to book EV charging sessions online," he added.
The new 2022 Perodua Alza 1.5L has received a record-breaking 30,000 bookings even before its official launch, which was also attended by Perodua's strategic partner Daihatsu Motor Co president Soichiro Okudaira and Perodua chairman Tan Sri Asmat Kamaludin.
The order was the highest in the brand's history to date, according to Zainal.
He said nearly 4,000 customers had converted their Alza orders to the latest version even before it was opened for booking in June 23.
"Some of our customers will be receiving their all-new Alza from 195 authorised sales showrooms across the country beginning today. We are also assuring our customers who booked their 2022 Alza on or before June 30 that they will receive their vehicle before the March 31, 2023 deadline," he added.
Perodua has invested RM770 million to develop the new Alza model from April 2018.
It was jointly developed under the Daihatsu New Global Architecture (DNGA) where Malaysian designers and engineers worked with their counterparts within Daihatsu Motor Co. of Japan.
It is the second model developed under DNGA after Perodua Ativa which was was introduced in March 2021.
"This partnership has allowed Perodua and its suppliers to work together with Daihatsu to achieve economies of scale and improve development cost of new models - which in this case is the 2022 Alza," said Zainal.
The new Alza is available in three variants and are priced at RM62,500 for the X variant, RM68,000 for the H and the hi-spec AV at RM75,500.
The prices are for Peninsular Malaysia with the sales tax and without insurance.
The focus of the multi-purpose vehicle is its larger interior space compared to its predecessor especially in the third row, and now with a rear air-conditioning unit.
All variants run on a 1.5L Dual VVT-i EEV engine paired to a D-CVT transmission its fuel efficiency has also been improved said to be among the best in its class with up to potentially 22km per litre.
Other new features include a 360 panoramic view, electronic parking brake with auto brake hold, rear disc brake and a new drive mode: Normal, Eco and Power.
All variants come in five colour options: Ivory White, Glittering Silver, Garnet Red, and the new Elegant Black and Vintage Brown.