Top 6 affordable electric cars in Malaysia

The electric vehicle industry is expected to grow faster in Malaysia in the next couple of years with significant efforts being made by local automakers in this regard. For instance, Proton has recently introduced its first electrified vehicle, the X90, and is now preparing to introduce smart electric cars. Similarly, Perodua has also been working on its first pure electric vehicle, previewed in the form of the Electric Motion Online (EM-O) concept at the 2023 Malaysia Auto Show. 

While the dream of owning a Made-in-Malaysia EV will still take some time to materialise, non-national automakers have got you covered if you are looking for an affordable and eco-friendly way of transportation. In this article, we have listed the top 6 most affordable electric cars in Malaysia that can be grabbed at less than RM 200,000. 

Ora Good Cat 

(Price: RM 139,800 - RM 169,800, Range: 400 km - 500 km)

Great Wall Motors launched the Ora Good Cat EV in Malaysia last year. The Chinese EV comes in two variants locally viz. 400 Pro and 500 Ultra, priced at RM 139,800 and RM 169,800, respectively. 

Both variants are powered by a 143 hp/210 Nm electric motor paired with different battery packs. The 500 Ultra features a 63.1-kWh unit providing a range of 500 km while the 400 Pro comes with a smaller 47.8-kWh pack that offers a cruising range of 400 km. As for charging, a 6.6 kW AC charger takes almost 10 hours to fully charge the bigger battery. With the help of a 60 kW DC charger, 0-80% SoC can be attained in 60 minutes.

BYD Atto 3 

(Price: RM 149,800 - RM 167,800, Range: 345 km- 420 km)

The Chinese EV maker BYD also entered the local market last year with the launch of the Atto 3. Two versions of the EV on offer are - Standard and Extended, priced at RM 149,800 and RM 167,800, respectively. Powering both the Atto 3 models is the same electric motor delivering  201 hp of power and 310 Nm of torque.

The lower-spec Standard trim utilises a 49.92-kWh battery pack while the top-spec Extended has a larger 60.48-kWh unit. The driving range is 345 km and 420 km, respectively. 

With the help of a 6.6-kW AC charger, the larger battery can be charged in 9.5 hours, whereas the 80-kW DC port can provide 80% SoC in just 50 minutes.

 Nissan Leaf

(Price: RM 168,888, Range: 311 km) 

The latest iteration of the Nissan Leaf made its way to Malaysia a couple of months back. It is offered in a sole variant, priced at RM 168,888 (with tax exemptions and FOC road tax). ETCM also offers the Leaf on subscription with no down payment. The monthly subscription for a 3-year contract is RM 1,800.

The EV comes equipped with a 110kW electric motor delivering a maximum power of 150 PS and a peak torque of 320 Nm. The motor is fed by a 40-kWh battery pack offering a driving range of 311 kilometres based on the NEDC cycle. The charging can be done via a 6.6-kW onboard charger or a 50-kW CHAdeMO socket. The latter takes an hour to fully charge the EV.

Renault Zoe

(Price: RM 165,000 - RM 179,000, Range: 386 -395 km)

TC Euro Cars introduced the new Zoe electric hatchback in Malaysia earlier this month. The refreshed version of the EV is available in two variants - ZE50 R110 and ZE50 R135, priced at RM 165,000 and RM 179,000, respectively. The subscription plans range from 1 to 3 years with a monthly fee starting at RM 2,799. 

Both variants of the 2023 Renault are powered by different electric motors viz.

• Zoe R110 - 109 PS/225 Nm 80 kW unit paired with a 52 kWh Z.E. 50 battery pack delivering 395 km of range
• Zoe R135 - 135 PS/245 Nm 100 kW paired with a 52 kWh Z.E. 50 battery pack enabling EV to run 386 km on a single charge

A 50 kW DC charger with a CCS2 connection can juice up 0 to 80% battery in 70 mins. However, a 22 kW AC with a Type 2 connector can complete 100% of the task in just three hours.

Hyundai Kona Electric

(Price: RM 149,888 - RM 199,888, Range: 305 km - 484 km)

Hyundai-Sime Darby Motors offers the Kona Electric in three variants in Malaysia, namely e-Lite, e-Plus, and e-Max. The price starts at RM 149,888 and goes all the way up to RM 199,888.

The lower trims are powered by the same 136 hp/395 Nm electric motor paired with a 39.2 kWh battery offering a range of 305 km. The top-spec Kona e-Max, on the other hand, gets a 204 hp/395 Nm motor fed by a 64 kWh package that can let the EV cruise up to 484 km on a single charge. The larger battery takes 7.5 hours to juice up when using an 11 kW on-board charger.

Neta V

(Price: RM 99,000, Range: 380 km)

Last on the list is the Neta V. This is again a Chinese EV that was presented at the 2023 Malaysia Auto Show. Cheapest in the bunch, the Neta V is offered in a sole variant, priced at RM 99,000. The bookings of the EV are currently underway in Malaysia.

Powering the Neta V is a 95 hp/150 Nm electric motor coupled with a 38.5-kWh battery unit that can be charged from 30% to 80% in 30 minutes using a 100 kW DC charger. The NEDC-claimed driving range of the Neta V is 380 km.

Which of these EVs impressed you the most? Let us know in the comments.

Also read: Top 5 luxury cars launching in Malaysia in 2023