"I hope Proton will one day manufacture its own EVs" -- Mahathir

SHAH ALAM - After getting up close and personal with Geely Holding's state-of-the-art electric car -- the Polestar 2 -- Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad hopes that national carmaker, Proton, will one day be able to manufacture its own range of electric vehicles (EV).

The former prime minister remarked that EVs were the way forward to reduce pollution and that in most countries, the local government incentivises the purchase of such zero-emissions vehicles.

However, Mahathir was the former chairman of Proton noted that while using an EV doesn’t pollute the air as it emits no exhaust gases, the electricity supply used to charge them comes from power stations that do pollute the environment.

"EVs have yet to reach the stage where they are truly pollution-free, adding that hydrogen fuel cell cars may be a better alternative, although those come with their own problems that need to be analysed and resolved.

"But for now EVs are the option for cleaner air in cities. I hope Proton would be able to advance the development of its EV project so that one day, it would be able to introduce its own EV to the market," said Mahathir on Facebook.

The 97-year-old statesman who was also the founder of Proton, remarked that he is a big fan of the Polestar 2 design, especially the EV's front trunk and the its minimalistic and futuristic cabin that integrated many vehicle functions into a tablet-style touchscreen infotainment system.