KANGAR: Perusahaan Otomobil Kedua (Perodua) plans to produce several new energy efficient vehicle (EEV) models to remain competitive in the compact car segment through its five-year plan (2017-2021).
Perodua Manufacturing Sdn Bhd acting senior general manager Mohd Saifuzzaman Mohammad said the plan was aimed at fulfilling the demand for low fuel efficient compact cars.
“I am not able to reveal the models yet as this is a business strategy but the new models would be of better quality, cheap and fuel-efficient,” he told reporters after handing-out five second-hand computer numerical control (CNC) machines to Universiti Malaysia Perlis (UniMAP) vice-chancellor Datuk Dr Zul Azhar Zahid Jamal in Kangar on Monday.
Saifuzzaman also said enhancements would be made to the Bezza model, which received five-star recognition by the Asean New Car Assessment Programme recently, and the Axia model, which received great response from customers.
He said the CNC machine cost RM300,000 per unit with brand new ones costing about RM800,000 to RM1.3mil per unit.
Meanwhile, Zul Azhar said the strategic relationship between the car manufacturer and the university over the last past five years had helped graduates undergo practical training in the automotive industry which had increased graduates’ employability.
“This would help in producing graduates who are holistic, competent and relevant as they would have gained hands-on experience,” he added.
He also called on other automotive companies to collaborate with UniMAP to conduct research and development. - Bernama