Proton Mild Hybrids Just Around The Corner, Full EVs Within 5 Years?

New Proton electrified cars could be coming very soon indeed while a full EV model bearing the Malaysian automaker’s badge might be here within 5 years, at least according to a recent report.

Hong Leong Investment Bank published some findings on the future of certain brands within the Malaysian automotive landscape, most noteworthy of which was Proton with insights into some of the more ‘future facing’ plans Proton might have up its sleeve.

According to analyst Daniel Wong, the Proton is likely to skip plug-in hybrid vehicles altogether and jump headfirst into fully electric vehicles with an EV model in showrooms by 2027.

However, in the meantime, to ensure the current portfolio of Proton products continues to remain competitive from an efficiency perspective, the company will be fitting cars with mild-hybrid powertrains.

Proton MHEVs?

These Proton MHEVs will utilise a 48V starter-generator to offload some of the duties from the internal combustion engine, especially to compensate for its least efficient use cases such as coasting to a halt, braking, and pulling away. Here, the electric motor can recover the kinetic energy to aid in acceleration or slow-speed driving.

According to Wong, the transition to MHEV powertrains is regarded by Proton as a “minor stepping stone” since they are operationally indistinguishable from their current cars. This could start with the X50 and the X70, especially since the latter is due for a refresh and receive a smaller 1.5-litre TGDI engine very soon.

This enhanced MHEV version of the Proton X50’s powerplant has already seen use in other Geely models in China and abroad where it produces a stout 190PS and 300Nm,  so it would not be a particularly difficult technology for Proton to implement or adapt for Malaysia.

But what about Proton PHEVs?

However, this runs contrary to Proton CEO Roslan Abdullah’s previous statement in late 2021. He did mention PHEVs being part of their electrification roadmap, so take HLIB’s projections with a pinch of salt.

Speaking of roadmaps, Proton was also due to introduce two four-door sedans according to their timeline in 2019. That was meant to happen in 2021 and again this year but a certain global pandemic threw a monkey wrench into those plans.

Proton has dipped its toe into electric/electrified cars in the past - but these were little more than glorified experiments such as the Proton GEN2 EVE Hybrid Concept from 2007 and the Iriz EV from 2015.

Geely + Proton =

Now with Geely’s backing, Proton has no shortage of access to technology, vehicle platforms, and even production vehicles. While the Chinese automotive’s more high-end EV offerings like the Zeekr 001 are a little too rich for our blood, sub-brand Geometry is almost entirely dedicated to bringing EV mobility at mass-market prices. There's also a budding partnership with Smart.

A 5 year wait to see a zero-emissions Proton in showrooms might sound like a long time, but such is the nature of a seismic shift for any automaker to embrace new powertrain tech and master volume production of it.

Here, now, in 2022, they’ve got more pressing matters to sort out before an undertaking of that magnitude can begin in earnest.