At today’s unveiling of Proton’s EV brand and logo, the national carmaker announced that it is developing its Global Modular Architecture or GMA. This architecture will form the basis of five new models from the brand including internal combustion, plug-in hybrid and battery-electric models, said Proton CEO Li Chunrong.
According to the presentation slide, there are five GMA-based models in the pipeline. Joining the Geely group of companies allowed Proton access to the group’s latest technology, “allowing us to to integrate new features into our products for our customers,” Li said. “These models are designed to be manufactured in Malaysia for the local market and global exports,” said the CEO.
The key to that objective is the Global Modular Architecture (GMA) that is being developed for the next generation of Proton models, the CEO of Proton said. “GMA will be our main platform and it will provide the base for many new models, including PHEV and BEV models,” he added.
Being Proton’s own modular platform, this will be capable of housing internal combustion, plug-in hybrid and battery-electric powertrains. Proton has big plans for the GMA platform that is intended for models made locally in Malaysia for domestic consumption as well as for export markets, targeting a combined annual production volume of 200,000 units.
The first battery-electric vehicle to come from Proton, the Proton eMas (stylised e.MAS) E7 will predate Proton’s GMA-based product plan, given that it will be based on the Geely Galaxy E5 that is built on the Global Intelligent New Energy Architecture (GEA) that is developed from Geely’s Sustainable Experience Architecture which supports not just full EVs, but also range extender, PHEV and methanol powertrains.
As the Galaxy E5 measures 4,615 mm long, 1,901 mm wide, 1,670 mm tall and has wheelbase of 2,750 mm, this makes it a mid-sized SUV in the size region of a Honda CR-V, which means that the first eMas will not be a small vehicle and therefore, not cheap. This could open the door for the first Proton GMA platform-based model to fly the flag as Malaysia’s rahmah, or affordable EV.
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