Latest news with #TheCarExpo2025
The Sun
28-07-2025
- Automotive
- The Sun
Proton sets up international arm to accelerate overseas sales
PETALING JAYA: Proton Holdings Bhd has established Proton International Corporation Sdn Bhd (PICSB), a wholly owned subsidiary formed to spearhead its overseas expansion efforts, with the objective to provide more flexibility when dealing with international markets. The CEO of the new company is Edmund Lim Meng Thong, who was formerly the director of Proton's International Sales Division. With export sales identified as a key driver of future sales growth, PICSB is tasked with enlarging Proton's global footprint, aiming to expand to the Global South while also continuing to oversee and develop sales and marketing efforts in existing overseas markets. Proton models lead vehicle export volumes in Malaysia and the company's planning calls for a tenfold increase in export volumes over the next five years. The attendees for the first board meeting of the international arm on July 14 included Proton CEO Dr Li Chunrong, Proton Covering deputy CEO Ainol Azmil and chief financial officer Chen Limin. After starting exports to Bangladesh in 1986, just a year after its first car was produced, Proton quickly expanded its international reach, notably becoming the fastest-growing new car franchise in the UK by 1992, with annual sales reaching 15,000 units. By the early 2000s, Proton models were present in 64 countries globally, with the company then strategically shifting its focus to high-growth regional markets such as Asean, China, India, the Middle East and North Africa. In 2025, Proton remains committed to expanding its global presence by introducing new models and technologies to international markets. As of this year, the company has exported 20,169 vehicles to 19 countries since 2020 making it the leading exporter of vehicles from Malaysia. Proton's top three exported models since 2020 are the Proton Saga with 10,998 units, the Proton X50 with 3,986 units and the Proton X70 with 3,316 units. However, the Proton 7 has quickly gained favour, rising to third place in export sales this year. Since its export began to Nepal and Trinidad and Tobago, a total of 233 units have been delivered. Since its launch in December 2024, the model has maintained strong sales with 916 units sold in May for domestic and international markets, bringing its total year-to-date sales to 3,632 units. Beyond individual sales numbers, the international sales team has been busy since the beginning of 2025. February saw the launch of the locally assembled Proton Saga in Egypt with local distributor Ezz Elarab Group while the Proton 7 made its international debut in Nepal the following month followed by its introduction in Trinidad & Tobago in June. Singapore will be next on the list following a special sneak preview of the new C segment SUV at The Car Expo 2025 in May, which will mark the re-entry of Proton into the island nation after an absence of over a decade. Proton International Corp aims for 6,000-unit sales in 2025 and targets to double the figure in 2026. Operated as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Proton, the international arm aims an export sale of 6,000 units this year, with a target to double that figure next year and exceed 10 times that volume by 2030. Currently, Proton exports to 19 countries, namely Brunei, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Trinidad and Tobago, Singapore, Bermuda, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan, Mauritius, Sri Lanka, Egypt, Iraq, Ghana, Angora, Kenya, South Africa, Mozambique, Zimbabwe. Lim said, 'The official registration of Proton International Corporation Sdn Bhd marks a pivotal moment, sharpening our focus and increasing our agility to drive global expansion. We are setting ambitious targets for the next few years and to achieve this, we are actively hiring more talent for our regional sales and marketing teams. We are also excited about the progress made at the Automotive High Tech Valley, which will boost our production capability to meet growing international demand.'
The Star
06-05-2025
- Automotive
- The Star
Proton returns to Singapore with showcase at Car Expo 2025
KUALA LUMPUR: Proton Holdings Bhd (Proton) is returning to Singapore with its first electric vehicle (EV), the Proton 7. In a statement last Friday, the national carmaker said the comeback followed the model's international debut in Nepal at the end of March. The 7 was available for a special public preview at The Car Expo 2025 over last weekend. Riding on its success as Malaysia's best-selling EV in the first four months of this year, Proton said the unveiling marks the brand's return to Singapore after more than a decade. 'Partnering with newly appointed authorised distributor Vincar Group, Proton is re-entering an export market that ranks second globally in per-capita gross domestic product (GDP) based on purchasing power parity. 'Looking ahead, Vincar will spearhead retail operations for Proton's EV lineup under the brand, offering Singaporean drivers high-quality EVs designed for urban lifestyles,' it said. Meanwhile, Proton's chief executive officer Dr Li Chunrong said the debut of the Proton 7 in Singapore marked a significant step in the company's international expansion and reflects its commitment to delivering high-quality, technologically advanced EVs to the region. 'We are confident that the 7, with its compelling features and suitability for urban environments, will resonate well with Singaporean drivers as the nation embraces electric mobility,' he said. The carmaker noted that many visitors viewed both Prime and Premium variants of the powered by a high-performance 12-in-1 electric drive system and an Aegis short blade battery, at booth D25 in Singapore Expo Halls Three and Four. Proton also said its return to Singapore aligns with the nation's accelerating transition to green mobility. According to the company, Singapore's EV market share has steadily increased from 12% in 2022 to 18% in 2023, with projections reaching 55% by 2027. 'To support this shift, Singapore aims to install at least 12,000 EV charging points in approximately 2,000 Housing and Development Board carparks by this year, and 60,000 by 2030. 'Additionally, the government targets 100% of vehicles to run on cleaner energy by 2040, contributing to Singapore's net-zero emissions goal by reducing land transport emissions,' it said. Back in Malaysia, Proton added that it has received more than 6,000 bookings for the 7, demonstrating growing interest among Malaysians in switching to EVs – provided the overall package meets expectations. Organised by SPH Media, Car Expo 2025 is touted to be Singapore's largest car show. According to posts on social media by Proton, the eMas 7 will be offered in Singapore as a Founders Edition on a limited basis. According to the Proton website, the the eMas 7 starts from RM105,800 for the Prime, going up to RM119,800 for the Premium. The automaker has not made any announcements about pricing in Singapore. — Bernama
New Straits Times
05-05-2025
- Automotive
- New Straits Times
Proton returns to Singapore with e.MAS 7 showcase at The Car Expo 2025
KUALA LUMPUR: Proton Holdings Bhd (Proton) is returning to Singapore with its first electric vehicle (EV), the Proton 7, which will be available for a special public preview at The Car Expo 2025 this weekend. In a statement today, the national carmaker said the comeback follows the model's international debut in Nepal at the end of March. Riding on its success as Malaysia's best-selling EV in the first four months of this year, Proton said the unveiling marks the brand's return to Singapore after more than a decade. "Partnering with newly appointed authorised distributor VINCAR Group, Proton is re-entering an export market that ranks second globally in per-capita gross domestic product (GDP) based on purchasing power parity. "Looking ahead, VINCAR will spearhead retail operations for Proton's EV lineup under the brand, offering Singaporean drivers high-quality EVs designed for urban lifestyles," it said. Meanwhile, Proton's chief executive officer Dr Li Chunrong said the debut of the Proton 7 in Singapore marks a significant step in the company's international expansion and reflects its commitment to delivering high-quality, technologically advanced EVs to the region. "We are confident that the 7, with its compelling features and suitability for urban environments, will resonate well with Singaporean drivers as the nation embraces electric mobility," he said. The carmaker noted that visitors can view both Prime and Premium variants of the powered by a high-performance 12-in-1 electric drive system and an Aegis short blade battery, at booth D25 in Singapore EXPO Halls Three and Four. Proton also said its return to Singapore aligns with the nation's accelerating transition to green mobility. According to the company, Singapore's EV market share has steadily increased from 12 per cent in 2022 to 18 per cent in 2023, with projections reaching 55 per cent by 2027. "To support this shift, Singapore aims to install at least 12,000 EV charging points in approximately 2,000 Housing and Development Board carparks by 2025, and 60,000 by 2030. "Additionally, the government targets 100 per cent of vehicles to run on cleaner energy by 2040, contributing to Singapore's net-zero emissions goal by reducing land transport emissions," it said. Back in Malaysia, Proton added that it has received more than 6,000 bookings for the 7, demonstrating growing interest among Malaysians in switching to EVs—provided the overall package meets expectations. – BERNAMA
The Sun
04-05-2025
- Automotive
- The Sun
Proton re-enters Singapore with its first EV vehicle, e.MAS 7
PETALING JAYA: Proton Holdings Bhd is re-entering Singapore with its first electric vehicle (EV), Proton 7, which was showcased at The Car Expo 2025 in the island republic over the weekend. Partnering with its newly appointed authorised distributor Vincar Group, the Malaysian carmaker is returning to an export market that is ranked number two globally for per-capita gross domestic product in terms of purchasing power parity. Looking to the future, Vincar will spearhead retail operations of Proton's EV lineup under the brand, offering Singaporean drivers high-quality EVs designed for urban lifestyles. Notably, Proton's return to Singapore is timely, aligning with the country's accelerating transition to green mobility. The market share of EVs in Singapore has steadily increased from 12% to 18% of the total automotive industry volume between 2022 and 2023, with projections reaching 55% by 2027. To support this shift, Singapore aims to establish at least 12,000 EV charging points in about 2,000 Housing and Development Board car parks by 2025, and 60,000 by 2030. Additionally, the government targets 100% of vehicles to run on cleaner energy by 2040, contributing to Singapore's net-zero emissions goal by reducing land transport emissions. Boasting an aerodynamic silhouette with a drag coefficient of 0.275, a futuristic design, and cutting-edge features, the 7 sets a new benchmark for electric SUVs in its class. In Malaysia, more than 6,000 bookings have been received, demonstrating an increasing number of Malaysians who are willing to make the switch to EVs with Proton, provided the overall package meets their expectations. 'The debut of the Proton 7 in Singapore marks a significant step in our international expansion and our commitment to bringing high-quality, technologically advanced EVs to the region,' said Proton CEO, Dr Li Chunrong. 'We are confident that the 7, with its compelling features and suitability for urban environments, will resonate well with Singaporean drivers as the nation embraces electric mobility.'
