PRO-NET (Proton’s new energy vehicle subsidiary) and Gentari (Petronas’ clean energy subsidiary) exchanged MoU documents at the International Greentech & Eco Products Exhibition & Conference Malaysia (IGEM). Together, PRO-NET and Gentari will build 20 DC fast chargers in Malaysia in 2023.
Through the collaboration, PRO-NET will be responsible for providing charging locations and power facilities. Gentari, on the other hand, will be responsible in providing the charging infrastructure and operatorship solutions. Proton says that this signing with Gentari is the next step taken by Proton to establish its presence and add to the ecosystem in the national EV and NEV space after signing a general distributorship agreement with Smart in August.
The document exchange was performed between Zhang Qiang, Chief Executive Officer of PRO-NET, and Shah Yang Razalli, Head of Clean Energy Solutions Transition at Petronas on behalf of Gentari. Witnessing the event were Dato’ Seri Ir. Dr Zaini Ujang, Secretary General, Ministry of Environment and Water, Dato’ Iskandar Bin Abdul Samad, Chairman, Malaysian Green Technology and Climate Change Corporation (MGTC), along with YM Datuk Tengku Muhammad Taufik, President and Group Chief Executive Officer of Petronas, and Roslan Abdullah, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Proton.
Proton Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Roslan Abdullah said, “Addressing the needs of EV and NEV customers in Malaysia will require the participation of many parties and collaboration between automotive industry players. This is especially true with regards to a charging infrastructure that addresses the needs of users throughout the country and PRO-NET will offer customers a comprehensive charging solution.”
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“We also foresee NEV customers having a different set of motivating factors compared to traditional car buyers and as such, we want to create a new experience that caters to their needs. Therefore, PRO-NET will actively recruit new dealers and welcome proposals for an innovative brand and transactional experience,” added Roslan Abdullah.
At the MoU exchange ceremony, Proton also announced that it will develop its brand-own EV and will be sending 16 of its engineers to China to be trained in all aspects of the field. Proton says that besides providing a charging network, it must pay equal attention to other areas of the business if it wants to have a comprehensive business solution.
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