Proton returns to Singapore with showcase at Car Expo 2025
In a statement last Friday, the national carmaker said the comeback followed the model's international debut in Nepal at the end of March.
The e.MAS 7 was available for a special public preview at The Car Expo 2025 over last weekend.
Riding on its success as Malaysia's best-selling EV in the first four months of this year, Proton said the unveiling marks the brand's return to Singapore after more than a decade.
'Partnering with newly appointed authorised distributor Vincar Group, Proton is re-entering an export market that ranks second globally in per-capita gross domestic product (GDP) based on purchasing power parity.
'Looking ahead, Vincar will spearhead retail operations for Proton's EV lineup under the e.MAS brand, offering Singaporean drivers high-quality EVs designed for urban lifestyles,' it said.
Meanwhile, Proton's chief executive officer Dr Li Chunrong said the debut of the Proton e.MAS 7 in Singapore marked a significant step in the company's international expansion and reflects its commitment to delivering high-quality, technologically advanced EVs to the region.
'We are confident that the e.MAS 7, with its compelling features and suitability for urban environments, will resonate well with Singaporean drivers as the nation embraces electric mobility,' he said.
The carmaker noted that many visitors viewed both Prime and Premium variants of the e.Mas powered by a high-performance 12-in-1 electric drive system and an Aegis short blade battery, at booth D25 in Singapore Expo Halls Three and Four.
Proton also said its return to Singapore aligns with the nation's accelerating transition to green mobility.
According to the company, Singapore's EV market share has steadily increased from 12% in 2022 to 18% in 2023, with projections reaching 55% by 2027.
'To support this shift, Singapore aims to install at least 12,000 EV charging points in approximately 2,000 Housing and Development Board carparks by this year, and 60,000 by 2030.
'Additionally, the government targets 100% of vehicles to run on cleaner energy by 2040, contributing to Singapore's net-zero emissions goal by reducing land transport emissions,' it said.
Back in Malaysia, Proton added that it has received more than 6,000 bookings for the e.MAS 7, demonstrating growing interest among Malaysians in switching to EVs – provided the overall package meets expectations.
Organised by SPH Media, Car Expo 2025 is touted to be Singapore's largest car show.
According to posts on social media by Proton, the eMas 7 will be offered in Singapore as a Founders Edition on a limited basis.
According to the Proton website, the the eMas 7 starts from RM105,800 for the Prime, going up to RM119,800 for the Premium.
The automaker has not made any announcements about pricing in Singapore. — Bernama
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
10 hours ago
- The Star
Singapore's Tipsy Collective sues former directors, HR head; alleges S$14mil lost from misconduct, poor decisions
SINGAPORE: The legal battle over control of home-grown hospitality group Tipsy Collective has taken another turn. The company – now led by its majority shareholders, who gained control after a boardroom shake-up in 2024 – has filed a lawsuit against its former leadership, seeking to recover more than S$14 million in losses and damages from a string of alleged wrongful payments, mismanagement and unauthorised deletions of company records. In its statement of claim filed on June 12, the plaintiffs – Tipsy Collective and three of its subsidiaries (Tipsy Bird, Social Room Concepts and Tipsy Collective Singapore) – are alleging breaches of fiduciary and contractual duties by three former directors, David Gan Jia Liang, Derek Ong and Reuben Low Kok Cherng, and former human resources manager Avril Lim Qian Jun. Gan, who was the former chief executive of the group, founded Tipsy Collective with Ong in 2019. Following internal disputes, the bloc of investors and shareholders who oppose Gan has increased its collective stake from 59.39 per cent to 97.3 per cent, according to the latest shareholder records from the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority. Gan currently owns 1.66 per cent of the company's shares, and Low holds 1.03 per cent. As Ong died in August 2023, his wife, Melody Huang Bao'er, who is the administrator of his estate, was named as the second defendant in the lawsuit. This new lawsuit follows an earlier court battle reported by The Straits Times in September 2024, in which Gan had sued eight parties – including investors and shareholders – claiming they had breached a shareholders' agreement and tried to unlawfully seize control of the company. The defendants – Indonesian investors Reino Ramaputra Barack and Santosa Kadiman, Singaporean Rudy Hartono Widjaja and four shareholder entities – rejected Gan's claims. Instead, they pointed to alleged financial mismanagement under his leadership. They cited mounting debts and lack of financial transparency, and questioned the $6 million spent developing Tipsy Unicorn beach club in Sentosa. They claimed Gan had caused the company to take out $8.7 million in loans, of which $6 million remained outstanding, and that the company owed $5.2 million to suppliers and nearly $1 million to Sentosa Development Corporation. Gan failed to get an interim injunction to retain control of the company's board and subsequently lost his lawsuit against the investors and shareholders. On Nov 6, 2024, the board terminated his role as chief executive and removed Low as director. On the same day, Barack was appointed the chairman of the board of directors of Tipsy Collective. Gan resigned from the board on Nov 15, 2024, while Lim's last day with the company was Nov 17 of the same year. By December 2024, the financial toll of the leadership struggle had affected ground operations. More than 100 employees had faced delays in salary payments since October 2024. The company managed to settle overdue Central Provident Fund contributions and salaries only after four shareholders injected emergency funding. The group, which once operated 13 outlets, has since scaled down. At least four outlets have been shut since October 2024, and it is now left with five outlets. Now, led by its new management, Tipsy Collective is turning the tables on its former leadership with this latest suit. The first set of allegations involves unauthorised payments made. The plaintiffs allege that Gan and Ong caused the companies to transfer more than $4.2 million to themselves and Low, or between entities, without justification. These included $1.49 million in payments, made in December 2020, and $2.8 million disbursed between June 2020 and May 2024. The suit alleged that the payments had no commercial justification and brought no benefit to the companies, and that the three former directors failed to recover the funds, causing significant losses to the group. The lawsuit also cited a string of poor business decisions that allegedly harmed the group financially. The development of Tipsy Unicorn – a 19,000 sq ft beach club on Sentosa's Siloso Beach that opened in September 2023 – is at the centre of these claims. The construction cost of the project ballooned from $4 million to more than $6.1 million due to lack of due diligence and planning. Court documents also noted that the claimants did not have sufficient resources to undertake the construction of Tipsy Unicorn. Despite the fact that Tipsy Collective was 'in financial difficulties and needed monies from shareholders to sustain its operations', Gan and Ong allegedly continued to undertake more projects, the court documents noted. Another alleged mishap flagged in court documents was the group's investment in Tipsy Flamingo Malaysia. The plaintiffs claimed the venture led to a loss of more than $1.3 million. The renewal of leases for underperforming outlets, such as Tipsy Penguin, Tipsy Bunny and Tipsy Flamingo, was also highlighted. These new leases apparently involved higher rents and service charges, further straining the group's finances. The lawsuit further accused Gan and Lim of destroying and withholding company records. Gan allegedly deleted more than 4,000 files from the company's Google Drive and continued accessing company systems without authorisation after his departure. Lim is alleged to have erased nearly 5,000 files and formatted her company-issued laptop, erasing all stored data. Both of them are being held liable for damages linked to the data loss, with the plaintiffs also seeking an injunction to prevent Gan from using any confidential company information that may have been retained. Separately, the Ministry of Law's website showed Gan was declared bankrupt on June 19, in proceedings separate from the civil suit. - The Straits Times/ANN
New Straits Times
2 days ago
- New Straits Times
Economists split on Singapore monetary policy after surprise growth
SINGAPORE: Economists are divided over whether Singapore's central bank will ease monetary policy or maintain current settings at its upcoming review next week, as the economy remains resilient despite global growth headwinds. Of 12 analysts polled by Reuters, six expect the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) to ease its currency-based monetary policy at the July 30 review to offset an expected negative output gap. The other six forecast no change. The MAS has already eased policy twice in January and April this year in response to growth concerns triggered by US tariffs, following a tightening move in October 2022. However, recent economic data has surprised on the upside. Singapore avoided a technical recession after growing 1.4 per cent quarter-on-quarter in the second quarter, according to preliminary figures released last week. Much of the resilience is attributed to frontloading of activity. Singapore conducts monetary policy by managing the exchange rate rather than interest rates. It guides the Singapore dollar nominal effective exchange rate (S$NEER) within an undisclosed policy band and adjusts the slope, mid-point and width of the band as needed. Divergent views on the outlook Economists at Maybank expect the MAS to hold policy steady in light of the improved economic outlook. They also upgraded their 2025 GDP growth forecast to 3.2 per cent from 2.4 per cent. OCBC analyst Christopher Wong echoed this view, noting: "Having implemented two consecutive easings in the first half of 2025 by reducing the policy slope, a pause at this juncture will allow policymakers to evaluate the effects of earlier easing measures and await greater clarity on tariff-related uncertainties." However, Barclays analysts believe the MAS will further ease by flattening the S$NEER slope. "The MAS knows better than to celebrate any upside surprises to second quarter GDP too early: frontloading implies an eventual payback – likely in the second half of 2025 – while the more pernicious effects of uncertainty on investment will take time to show up," they said. Cautious tone globally Central banks worldwide are maintaining a cautious stance. The US Federal Reserve is expected to hold interest rates steady in its July meeting, while the European Central Bank left rates unchanged on Thursday after eight consecutive cuts. Singaporean authorities have cautioned that growth could weaken in the second half of 2025 as early activity subsides amid trade uncertainty. In April, the government lowered its full-year GDP growth forecast to a range of zero to two per cent, from 1.0 to 3.0 per cent previously.
New Straits Times
2 days ago
- New Straits Times
Proton officially launches X50, prices from RM89,800-RM113,300
PROTON Holdings Bhd has finally announced the prices the updated X50, several weeks after it was previewed to Malaysians. The SUV comes in three variants: X50 1.5TD Flagship at RM113,300, X50 1.5TD Premium at RM101,800 and X50 1.5TD Executive at RM89,800. However, there is a RM4,000 rebate for the first 10,000 customers as part of the national carmaker's Gempak! Deal for early bird customers who register their vehicles by Oct 31. Proton said since it first hit Malaysian roads in 2020, the X50 has completely changed expectations for its class and reset goalposts with over 140,000 units sold, making it Malaysia's best-selling B-segment SUV for five consecutive years. Developed in collaboration with Geely, the SUV is a global success story, with over 1.2 million units sold across 51 countries. The latest model introduces comprehensive upgrades inside and out, offering customers an even more refined, dynamic and intelligent driving experience. "The all-new Proton X50 reflects our continuous pursuit of excellence in automotive design and technology," said Proton chief executive officer Li Chunrong at its launch on Thursday. "Our ambition is to raise the standard for the B-segment, giving Malaysian drivers an experience that is smart, spirited, and truly next-generation, Made for Malaysia, Engineered for the World!" he added. The updated X50 ushers in a new era with a striking design evolution, enhanced ADAS Level 2, and a massive 14.6-inch infotainment display. One of its standout innovations is the world's first Bahasa Melayu voice command system, a proud local-first that brings intuitive connectivity to more Malaysians in their everyday language. Under the hood, the new 1.5TD i-GT engine paired with a seven-speed DCT delivers 133 kW and 290 Nm of torque, achieving 0-100 km/h 7.6 seconds - 0.3 seconds quicker than its predecessor. Coupled with a 4.7 per cent improvement in fuel economy, it offers a perfect balance of power and efficiency. Colour-wise, Proton has added a new option called Teal Bayou Green alongside the four existing colours namely Snow White, Passion Red, Jet Grey and Armour Silver. Interior-wise, the Executive and Premium variants are draped in black although they do have different upholstery material - fabric and leatherette respectively. The Flagship variant also has leatherette upholstery but it is draped in black and red instead.
