Xavier: Third national car project should explore electric vehicles

PUTRAJAYA (Bernama): Water, Land and Natural Resources Minister Dr A. Xavier Jayakumar (pic) says that the proposed third national car project explore energy-efficient vehicles as its core investment.

He said fossil fuels would probably last another 25 years or less and that there was a need to evolve and shift to more sustainable forms of energy.

Automobile manufacturers such as BMW, Mercedes, Porsche and Nissan have all jumped on the electric car bandwagon in an effort to explore marketing and commercialisation options in the long run, he said in a statement on Tuesday (Aug 21).

"The way forward is, of course, the electric vehicle (EV) option. The evolution from fossil fuel vehicles to EVs has already begun. At present, while the world continues to watch F1 racing, Formula E racing is fast picking up its own set of fans.

"This to me is a viable way 'for the future'. As such, I am sure the benefits of having a third national car will clearly outweigh its drawbacks," the PKR vice-president said.

Dr Xavier said once EVs are mass-produced, people would have the option to buy environmentally friendly vehicles at more affordable prices.

He said that the younger generation could pursue knowledge of and advance this new technology, which could allow Malaysia to its mark in the automobile segment, both regionally and globally.

"The EV car industry is a relatively new field, with Elon Musk's Tesla leading the way at present. The opportunity to get our youths to jump on board and expand it further is limitless. Let the government move forward with the idea," he said, referring to Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad's intention to introduce a third national car in an effort to boost and spearhead the economy.

Dr Xavier said it was reported recently that two Chinese companies were willing to invest up to US$10bil (RM41bil) to kick-start the project for the first five years.

Additionally, Dr Mahathir's proposal had also attracted the interest of several Japanese carmakers such as Toyota and Nissan, he said.

"In my opinion, should either deal go through, it could only benefit the country and its people in the long run," he added. – Bernama