Appollen Kick-Starts its Malaysian Market Entry with 3 EV Models

The Malaysian EV market space grew a little today following the introduction of yet another brand called Appollen, earlier today. The brand launched itself with a range of three EV models, those being the A1 five-door hatch, the A2 two-seat city car, as well as a sporty S1 flagship coupe.

What sets the Appollen brand apart from the current crop of EV brands are its claims of having ‘Blockchain Technology’ built into their cars. This addition essentially allows Appollen owners to technically make some extra income, with the brand coming up with comprehensive plans for such activities too.

Besides that, this Singapore-based EV brand also plans to provide an ample ecosystem for its EVs through its commitment of installing 2,500 EV chargers nationwide, alongside 100 showrooms and a further 200 ‘lifestyle stores’.

Set as the brand’s halo offering, the  Appollen S1 sports coupe features a dual electric motor and all-wheel drive configuration that outputs 550 HP and 710 NM. Juiced by a 97.9 kWh battery pack, Appollen says the S1 can despatch 0-100 KM/H in just 3.3 seconds before maxing out at 210 KM/H. As for range, the brand claims the S1’s setup delivers up to 500 KM (NEDC) whilst price figure reads at a rather hefty RM588,000.

Slotted below the S1 are two affordable offerings, those being the A1 and A2. The former is presented as a five-door family hatchback that sports things like coach style doors plus side-view cameras. Targeted for a younger audience, this hatch comes in two forms – single motor, front-wheel drive (FWD) with a 26 kWh battery, or a dual-motor, all-wheel drive (AWD) with a 39 kWh battery pack.

The single-motor variant sees its powertrain setup deliver around 93 HP and 130 NM whilst the up-specced dual-motor variant boasts peppier 214 HP and 300 NM readouts. Appollen claims 300 to 450 KM (NEDC) range for the A1, on top of somewhat decent performance abilities – 0-100 KM/H in 5.5 seconds and 150 KMH. Pricing supposedly starts from a very attractive figure of RM136,000.

Lastly comes the Appollen A2. Though the smallest and cheapest in the brand’s range, the A2 harnesses similar powertrain options to the larger A1 – it’s also offered in either 26 kWh single-motor FWD or 39 kWh dual-motor AWD forms. The key difference, of course, is the A2’s position as a compact, 2-seat city car.

Being the smallest – and therefore the lightest – in the range does see the A2 offer slightly peppier performance too, with Appollen claiming 0-100 KM/H in just 4.7 seconds plus a 190 KM/H top speed. As for range, Appollen’s claimed estimates read between 300 to 500 KM (NEDC). Crucially, this compact EV’s RM112,000 price tag should see it garner lots of interest too.

All models mentioned are manufactured in China by Qiantu Motor, a Suzhou-based EV carmaker, and it is understood that the initial batch of offerings will be fully imported (CBU) from said republic. However, plans to locally assemble (CKD) these cars are also in motion.

Aside from the launch, Apollo EV Malaysia Sdn Bhd – the Appollen brand’s local distribution arm – also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with SIRIM Berhad for EV technological innovations as well as future testing and patent approvals for EV parts and components.

Additional MoUs were also signed between Apollo EV Malaysia Sdn Bhd with Huawei Technologies Malaysia. This sees the tech firm offer support to the Appollen brand in supplying EV chargers for the brand’s aforementioned commitment of installing 2,500 charging points, along with Huawei’s other products such as its residential solar and storage solutions.

With almost little to no experience in the automotive industry, how will this newly-formed brand pave their way against other established names such as Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Nissan, Renault, Volvo, Hyundai and Kia? Will its competitive prices plus it promises to help develop the local EV ecosystem be enough to entice new buyers to consider them over the rest?