Proton staff to undergo NEV training in China

KUALA LUMPUR: Proton is all geared up for the development of new energy vehicles (NEV) including battery-electric vehicles, mild hybrids, and PHEVs. From the establishment of a new subsidiary “PRONET” to conducting research for charging locations, the automaker is not leaving any stone unturned in creating its space in the segment. In recent actions, it has sent a group of sixteen staff members to Hangzhou, China, for a six-month training to learn about NEVs.

The group comprises experienced industry workers and young engineers who graduated from the brand’s Young Talent programme. They will be trained at Geely Research Institute in Ningbo in several disciplines involved in the process of manufacturing, integration, sales as well as servicing of NEVs. The learned procedures will be gradually executed by Proton in the local market.

“When PROTON and Geely started collaborating in 2017, one of the pillars of the partnership was for PROTON to accelerate its model development timetable by incorporating technologies readily available from Geely. That has been successfully done and now, we are leveraging the global experience of the group in NEVs to give our model development timeline a boost.   

“Our initial plan was for the programme to begin sooner but this was put on hold by the pandemic. However, with travel restrictions having eased recently, PROTON can now reap the benefit of being part of one of the most diverse and forward-thinking collective of automotive brands,” said Dr Li Chunrong, Chief Executive Officer, PROTON.

The training will help Proton in the following manner -

• As usage patterns and user behaviour differ from country to country, the training will help the automaker in deciding the final specifications for the upcoming EVs ensuring that it meets the needs of local buyers. 
• It will also aid the national automotive brand in strengthening collaborative efforts to fine-tune upcoming offerings
• The acquisition of knowledge and new skills will further steer the company’s future direction for years to come

“PROTON invests in knowledge acquisition for our staff as we believe it is the best way for the company to move forward. The experience and training they gain will not only benefit the company but indirectly, it will also help raise the skill level of Malaysia’s automotive industry as more staff members are sent for training. This is one of the reasons why PROTON was established, and the company is proud to be able to fulfil that aim,” added Li Chunrong. 

It is to be noted that the first electric vehicle to be sold by PRO-NET is the smart #1 which is due to arrive in Q4 2023. 

Also read: Proton Saga Hot Wheels toy coming in 2023