MAI: Third National Car To Be An Electric Vehicle With Massive Connectivity

Malaysia Automotive Institute (MAI) CEO, Datuk Madani Sahari, has publicised that the third national car will be an electric vehicle (EV). In a morning interview with leading business radio channel BFM, Datuk Madani said that EV and connected vehicle technologies will be the main focus of the new national car.  

“The third national car project is a window for companies to develop and manufacture cars in Malaysia with advanced mobility technologies for the ASEAN market,” summarized Datuk Madani.

Datuk Madani also revealed that MAI has intellectual properties (IP) for EV powertrain and lithium-ion battery technologies. He said that these IPs will be useful to the company that will be manufacturing the third national car.

Apart from the EV technology, the third national car should also be equipped with technology that connects to the environment. “It is not just about the EV technology in the car, but also infrastructure that enables the connectivity to value-add while in the vehicle,” emphasize Datuk Madani.  

Through the Internet-of-Things (IOT), vehicle-to-vehicle communications or V2V allows vehicles to “talk to each other” by sharing data such as speed and precise location to improve traffic conditions and reduce the chance of collisions, especially in conditions with poor visibility.

Image credit: Qualcomm

Moving up the scale, V2X or vehicle-to-environment connects the vehicle to the outside world. Drivers will be informed about roadworks or other hazards much in advance, while also enable monitoring of a baby monitor back home.

Datuk Madani also said that the third national car will leverage on ASEAN to enable higher economies of scale. Since March 2018, MAI and its Indonesian counterpart, IOI, have been working together to improve the automotive industry of both nations, that includes vendor capability matching programme, human capital, as well as supply chain development.   

Touching on the National Automotive Policy (NAP) 2018, MAI plans to reveal details by the end of the year, with a public preview and feedback session slotted in a month before being finalized.