Perodua unveils Ativa Hybrid, subscription services

KUALA LUMPUR - Local carmaker Perusahaan Otomobil Kedua Sdn Bhd (Perodua) has introduced its first hybrid model, Ativa Hybrid, limited to 300 individual and corporate customers today.

President and chief executive officer Datuk Seri Zainal Abidin Ahmad said the introduction of the hybrid model was part of its first study into electric vehicles and their long-term mobility a service market study.

He said the study aimed to understand group driving behaviour of hybrid vehicles in populated locations in the Klang Valley, Penang and Johor Bahru as well as consumer acceptance of a five-year subscription service Perodua is offering to corporate customers under its EZ MOBI subscription service.

"The Perodua Ativa Hybrid is the best vehicle for us to get a unique insight into the behaviour of Malaysians as a controlled group and this data will be used to identify customers’ needs when using electric vehicles,” he told reporters after the Perodua Ativa Hybrid subscription ceremony here today.

The event was also attended by the Ministry of International Trade and Industry secretary-general Datuk Seri Lokman Hakim Ali, Perodua chairman Tan Sri Asmat Kamaludin and Daihatsu chairman Sunao Matsubayashui.

He said selected customers must pay RM500 monthly for five years or clock in a mileage of 100,000 kilometres, whichever is earlier, and return the car to Perodua.

"Although vehicle ownership is our main business, there is a possibility that this vehicle subscription business will be acceptable by more consumers in the near future.

"This is what we mean by ‘subscription to a service’ where all other obligations of owning a vehicle such as following the maintenance schedule, paying vehicle insurance and road tax will all be fully managed by us. The customer only needs to pay the subscription fee to enjoy the package,” he said.

The Perodua Ativa Hybrid uses a "series hybrid” system in which, a set of electric motors drive the wheels of the vehicle while a 1.2-litre WA-VEX engine acts as a power generator to charge the engine.

With this technology, the Perodua Ativa Hybrid serial system is able to reach a distance of 31.3 km per litre based on the Malaysian driving cycle test.

Perodua had a subscription service previously managed under EZ MOBI, first introduced in January 2021, but that service was limited to companies and not individuals. - BERNAMA