Tuesday October 19, 2010Proton set to produce hybrid cars next yearBy EUGENE MAHALINGAM eugenicz@thestar.com.my
Observer: It needs to be ready to capitalise on rising demand
PETALING JAYA: Proton Holding Bhd seems set to jump onto the green technology bandwagon as it is already in talks to replace the current fleet of government vehicles (comprising Perdana and Chancellor models) with its range of hybrid cars.
With sales of hybrid cars expected to increase following the Government’s decision to remove excise duties of such vehicles under Budget 2011, Proton needs to be ready to capitalise on the demand for hybrid cars.
“With further liberalisation of the local automotive industry, especially within the hybrid vehicle segment, Proton needs to be in a position to compete or risk losing out,” said an industry observer.
Datuk Syed Zainal Abidin “Demand for diesel and even hybrid vehicles is growing year-on-year and Proton can capitalise on this, especially with the liberalisation of the local automotive industry,” he added.
A vehicle with hybrid technology means it has two sources of power – petrol and electricity. Today’s hybrids combine a petrol engine with one or more electric motors. Emissions from hybrid vehicles are lower than conventionally powered motor vehicles.
An analyst said Proton would need to offer cars that were cheaper than its hybrid rivals. In a news report last December, Proton managing director Datuk Syed Zainal Abidin Syed Mohamed Tahir said the company was producing the Exora hybrid version in Britain for testing and research before they would find their way to Malaysia.
It was reported that the vehicles would first be tested as Government official vehicles in Putrajaya as the last stage of testing before the launch of commercial production in 2011.
The vehicles are said to be developed through collaboration with its Britain-based subsidiary Lotus, and several component suppliers like battery manufacturers.
The price of Exora, a multi-purpose vehicle, starts from around RM58,000. A hybrid version would cost a lot more.
“Proton already has the vehicle and won’t be building from the ground up.
“All that needs to be done is to integrate the hybrid components into it,” said the analyst, who declined to comment on the potential price of a hybrid Exora.
Proton, when contacted, declined to comment on the subject.
One industry observer who requested anonymity said a Proton hybrid vehicle could still cost more after factoring the “hybrid components.”
“Proton would have had a price advantage initially over other hybrid car players but with the new (excise duty exemption) policy, this may not be the case,” he said.
The removal of excise duties for hybrid cars means that the price tags of vehicles such as Honda Malaysia Sdn Bhd’s Honda Civic Hybrid and UMW Toyota Motor Sdn Bhd’s Toyota Prius could be slashed drastically.
It is estimated that the Honda Civic Hybrid and Toyota Prius, which currently cost RM129,000 and RM175,000 respectively, would have a new price tag of RM100,980 and RM128,046 following the excise duty exemption.
Both Honda Malaysia and UMW Toyota have yet to finalise the new prices of their respective hybrid cars.
Apart from a cost point of view, Proton would also need to ensure that the quality of its potential hybrid car is not a cause for concern.
“To compete with the other hybrid players, the question is whether Proton is ready to be up there in terms of quality,” said an analyst from a local bank-backed brokerage.
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