To learn about New Energy Vehicle (NEV), Proton has sent 16 staff members to Hangzhou, China for a six-month training program. Taking place at the Geely Research Institute in Ningbo, the 16 staff members will be trained in multiple disciplines involved in the development, integration, manufacturing, and sales and service of a new generation of vehicles.
The 16 staff sent to China are the first staffers to undergo NEV training. Part of the groups are experienced industry workers and part of the group are young engineers who graduated from the company’s Young Talent programme. Proton plans to send more staff members in the future to leverage on Geely’s technical knowledge on NEVs.
Proton Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Li Chun Rong said, “When PROTON and Geely started collaborating in 2017, one of the pillars of the partnership was for PROTON to accelerate its model development timetable by incorporating technologies readily available from Geely. That has been successfully done and now, we are leveraging on the global experience of the group in NEVs to give our own model development timeline a boost.”
“Our initial plan was for the programme to begin sooner but this was put on hold by the pandemic. However, with travel restrictions having eased recently, PROTON can now reap the benefit of being part of one of the most diverse and forward-thinking collective of automotive brands.”
RELATED: Smart #1 scores 5-star Euro NCAP rating – Malaysia-launch in Q4 2023
Besides training the 16 Proton staff on the various aspects of NEV, the team sent to China will aid in deciding the final specifications for products such as the Smart #1. The Smart #1 will be the first EV to be sold by PRO-NET, which is Proton’s newly formed subsidiary. It is dues to arrive in Q4 2023.
Li Chunrong adds, “Proton invests in knowledge acquisition for our staff as we believe it is the best way for the company to move forward. The experience and training they gain will not only benefit the company but indirectly, it will also help raise the skill level of Malaysia’s automotive industry as more staff members are sent for training. This is one of the reasons why PROTON was established, and the company is proud to be able to fulfil that aim.”
RELATED: PRO-NET is Proton’s new EV subsidiary that will also build a public charging network
