For those unaware, it was recently announced that Tesla will be coming to Malaysia. Specifically, the company will bring its Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs) to our shores. It will also build a supercharger network in our country, as well as establish an office and service centres.
But while Tesla BEVs are cool, they're not exactly cheap and affordable. You'd have to pay at least RM200k. But what other affordable options can Malaysians look forward to? Well, let's take a look at the top 5 most affordable electric cars you can't find in Malaysia... yet.
#1 Geely Panda Mini EV
If you don't mind a small car, the tiny Geely Panda Mini EV sounds like one possible alternative. This relatively tiny car is a 4-seater with two doors, is about 3 metres long and 1.5 metres wide. For size reference, the popular Perodua Myvi is a larger car at about 3.9 metres in length and 1.7 metres wide. It also has a range of 120 to 200 kilometers, so it's meant just for short city commutes.
The Panda Mini EV retails from 39900 to 53900 yuan (~RM25805 to RM28392), which makes it a super affordable electric vehicle... in China. However, since Geely already has a local presence in Malaysia and a sizeable stake in Proton, there's still a slim chance that we could see the Panda Mini EV on Malaysian roads. However, we'd expect all the red tape to cause the price to go up considerably.
#2 Wuling Hongguang Mini EV
Another option would be the Wuling Hongguang Mini EV. It's even smaller than the Geely Panda Mini EV at 2.9 meters by 1.4 meters and retails in China for 43800 yuan (~RM28397). Like the Panda Mini EV, it also offers 4 seats with 2 doors but the range is just from 120km to 170km.
The interesting thing about this car is it's "IP68-certified" or at least somewhat water resistant. It was once spotted floating merrily through a flooded street, so it could be just what our flood-prone states in Malaysia might need.
#3 Jiayuan Komi
For something that looks more luxurious, check out the Jiayuan Komi. This is a pricier mini car retailing between 56800 to 67800 yuan (~RM36736 to RM43850). It has many safety and security features like 2 airbags, a reverse camera, keyless entry, tyre pressure monitoring, cruise control and more.
In addition to it's premium features, it's also significantly taller with 15-inch wheels, so you could say it's the SUV of mini EVs. It also has a range between 161km to 322km depending on which variant you buy but like the other mini EVs mentioned above it offers 4 seats, 2 doors and very limited boot space.
#4 Tata Tiago EV (2023)
Moving on, an electric vehicle available in our neighbouring Thailand is the Tata Tiago EV. Unlike the previous three, the Tata Tiago EV is a hatchback with 4 doors priced at 348500 Baht (~RM45152). It also offers a range of 315km making it good for small families living outside of Malaysia's main city areas.
While it has 4 seats like the other three, there's considerably more space thanks to the wider wheelbase so it's great if you need the space and can afford to pay more. A car maker from India, Tata also has a small local presence here in Malaysia, so there's some chance that it may arrive here with similar pricing.
#5 Chery QQ Unbounded (Wujie) Pro
For something with more range and a premium price, there's the Chery QQ Unbounded (Wujie) Pro. This two-door car can seat four and has a range of 301 to 408 km.
That's double the range of most mini EVs, which tend to have a max range of about 200 km on a full charge. As for price, the Unbounded Pro is priced between 89900 to 112900 yuan (~RM58309 to RM73226).
So... What would be an affordable EV price?
As you may have noticed, these aforementioned affordable mini EVs are priced in the RM25000 to RM59000 range. Aside from the Tata Tiago EV, most of the time if you want a regular hatchback or sedan EV, you're easily looking at more than RM100000.
FYI, the most affordable Tesla Model 3 SR+ is expected to go for RM225000 to RM247000. Honestly, those aren't prices that the average Malaysian can afford, especially those with families.
Perhaps we need to wait until Proton and Perodua come out with their affordable EVs to actually get these sort of pricing ranges, so if you're in the market for an affordable EV, now may not exactly be the right time. But what do you think? What would be an affordable EV price tag for you? Share your thoughts in the comments below and stay tuned to TechNave for more articles like this.
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