Proton’s journey into the New Energy Vehicle (NEV) era hit yet another milestone today with the initial preview of its first-ever battery-powered electric vehicle (BEV). The national automaker has also confirmed the EV’s official name which is the Proton e.MAS7 – something that we have learned from a trademark filing earlier this year.
We also get to see two actual pre-production units of e.MAS7 at the media preview today. However, they were covered in camouflaged wrapping and have heavily tinted windows in order to hide their interior.
So, what information has Proton revealed regarding e.MAS7 today?
For one, Proton insists that the e.MAS7 is not a rebadged Geely Galaxy E5. Instead, the automaker said that the e.MAS7 was co-developed with Geely and has been engineered to deliver driving dynamics that can withstand Malaysian roads.
This is something we are going to discuss in a separate article but other than that, the details that Proton presented at the media preview today are mainly just high-level information.
For example, e.MAS7 is a C-segment electric SUV that is 4,615mm long, 1,901mm wide and 1,670mm tall while it also has a 2,750mm wheelbase. It is the first model to be built using Proton-Geely’s Global Modular Architecture (GMA) platform which is why the e.MAS7 is also known by its GMA 01 codename.
The new EV will be fitted with a “12-in-1 electric drive system” that is said to have a 90.04% comprehensive efficiency. The 82.5kg electric drivetrain also has an energy density of 1.94kW per kg.
Similar to Galaxy E5, the e.MAS7 is also equipped with the new LFP-based Aegis Short Blade battery. In addition to that, the new EV also has a cell-to-body implementation which Proton said not only helps maximise the space utilisation of the vehicle but also helps provide a better ride & handling experience.
Powered by the Flyme Auto operating system, the infotainment system on the e.MAS7 runs on the 7nm SiEngine SE1000A system-on-chip. There was a mention of “2.5k ultra high resolution” during the presentation by Pro-Net’s CEO, Zhang Qiang. We believe it is a reference to the EV’s infotainment touchscreen but the screen size was not noted inside the presentation.
Despite having the same infotainment setup as Galaxy E5, it will be heavily localised for e.MAS7. Pro-Net will be deploying localised telematics services that cover navigation, vehicle control, integration with multiple Charge Point Operators, and support for the new e.MAS Super App.
As noted earlier, plenty of other information regarding the e.MAS7 such as the motor output, battery capacity, charging capability, and pricing will be revealed as we get closer to the EV’s official launch in December. So, stay tuned.
