The promised raft of future Proton EVs will all be wearing a simplified tiger roundel and e.MAS badging.
As like every other automaker around these days, Proton has since joined on the trend in debuting its upcoming EVs under a new sub-brand. And just recently have they proudly announced that this sub-brand of theirs will be known as Proton e.MAS, which apparently is an acronym for Electrifying Malaysia.
To be pronounced as the alphabet ‘e’ combined with the word ‘mas’, Proton further claims that this new name of its sub-brand represents its aims of ‘electrifying mobility for Malaysians with its new upcoming EV models’. Models which will supposedly be arriving rather soon, with the Malaysian marque having hinted that the first product of this sub-brand will be launching by December this year.
Now alongside the new e.MAS name (which incidentally does also recall the Proton EMAS hybrid city car concept from over a decade ago), a new logo has also been showcased for this particular sub-brand. This new logo features a 2D rendition of the current ‘uncaged’ design depicting the tiger’s head held high, to symbolise the company moving forwards towards success.
Aside from the name and logo, Proton has further debuted new turquoise colour scheme for its e.MAS sub-brand as well. This turquoise will be making an appearance on the ‘e’ of the e.MAS script to be found on the rump of its upcoming models under this sub-brand, while the front tiger roundel will intriguingly feature a black background instead.
Also announced during the event was the appointment of the first 17 Proton EV dealers, with each of these new Proton e.MAS outlet adopting a sleek new monochromatic corporate identity (for an added perception of premium-ness). Applications are now open for interested dealers and the initial target is to have 30 outlets by 2025, with plans in place to grow the network according to need.
“The unveiling of the e.MAS brand and logo today marks a significant step forward in PROTON’s journey towards launching our own EV model. We are aware that as a company tied to the industrialisation of Malaysia, we have a responsibility to provide mobility solutions relevant and within reach of all Malaysians. This is why PROTON has been deliberate in its approach towards EVs, developing our knowledge base step by step to ensure we have a thorough understanding of the products, technology and user concerns before sales even begin,” said Dr Li Chunrong, Chief Executive Officer of Proton during the launch event for the e.MAS sub-brand.
“As Malaysia’s first automotive brand it is important for PROTON to invest in infrastructure to offer a full range of services to EV buyers, instead of just selling product. Therefore, when Proton e.MAS models go on sale, customers can be reassured their every need will be taken care of just like it would be for buyers of the current Proton range,” emphasised Dr Li Chunrong.
Dr Li Chunrong added, “The e.MAS brand and its products is an extension of PROTON’s three core values of Innovative Technology, Reliability and International. This is the next step in the evolution of the company and in the coming months, there will be additional announcements to build brand recognition and product advocacy in the run up to the launch of the first Proton e.MAS EV in December this year.”
And while not officially confirmed by Proton, it is really already all but expected for this first e.MAS EV to be a rebadged version of Geely’s Galaxy E5. Unveiled earlier this year before it goes on sale in China next month, the interesting thing about this particular CRV-sized e-SUV is for it to also be available (in its home market at least) with range extending, plug-in hybrid and methanol powertrains.
