Neta V: Is Malaysia’s cheapest EV actually worth it?

Launched at the Malaysia Autoshow 2023 last week, the Neta V grabbed headlines as the cheapest electric vehicle on sale in the country, sneaking just under the RM100,000 mark. That means it competes directly against cars like the Honda City, Toyota Vios and Proton X50, but it also cuts quite a few corners to hit the price point.

Retailing at RM99,800 (the first 100 orders at the show got a RM10,000 cash voucher, effectively bringing the price down to RM89,800), the Neta V is RM40,000 cheaper than the next most affordable EV, the Ora Good Cat. For that, you get a single electric motor at the front that produces just 94hp (70kW) and 150Nm of torque, getting you from zero to 50km/h (not 100km/h) in 3.9 seconds. Top speed is 120km/h.

Thanks to the low outputs and light weight of under 1,200kg, the Neta V’s small 38.5kWh battery is able to provide up to 380km of range, albeit on the less strict NEDC cycle. It also supports up to 100kW of DC fast charging power, enough to take the battery from 30 to 80% in 30 minutes. As for AC power, the Neta V can accept up to 6.6kW, providing a full charge in eight hours.

One look at the Neta V and it’s obvious where the money has been saved. Apart from the rather featureless body, skinny 16-inch alloy wheels and hard plastic interior, the car also lacks height adjustment for the driver’s seat, while the steering wheel is also fixed, meaning that tall drivers will struggle to get comfortable.

You do at least get a large 14.6-inch portrait touchscreen that controls everything from the air conditioning to even the lights, Tesla style. The instrument cluster, on the other hand, is a slim 12-inch monochrome LCD strip. In terms of safety, the car gets just two airbags and stability control, which is poor for the price; driver assistance systems like autonomous emergency braking are not available.