Proton e.MAS 7 Drive; ChargeSini & Shell Boost Proton’s Charging Network

Proton’s new energy division, PRO-NET, recently held the “Weekend SPARK Media Drive” to the historic city of Melaka. The event saw invited press members - us included -test out both the Prime and Premium variants of the e.MAS 7 EV crossover.

As a refresher, the e.MAS 7 boasts a newly developed 12-in-1 intelligent drive unit. It’s also juiced by Geely’s LFP Aegis Short Blade battery tech that’s widely touted to be comparable versus BYD’s renowned blade battery system.

The drive event was designed to showcase the capabilities of the e.MAS 7 under real-world conditions, with diverse routes covering city streets, rural areas, single-carriageways, and highways. These tests also demonstrated the vehicle’s Level 2 Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS).

However, due to the limited number of vehicles available, media participants had minimal driving time and spent most of the journey as passengers. Despite this, the event highlighted the e.MAS 7’s performance and efficiency through the “e.MAS 7 Efficiency Challenge” The challenge began at Proton’s Centre of Excellence (COE) and ended at the Proton e.MAS dealership in Melaka.

The efficiency challenge aimed to determine the driver with the lowest battery consumption figure, showcasing the capabilities of the Aegis LFP battery and drive unit. In the 149.5 KM journey, participants achieved remarkable results. Carz.com.my’s team recorded an impressive consumption rate of 11.3 kWh/100 KM, using only 32% of the battery’s charge.

The winning team here instead achieved even better results, using just 30% of the battery’s charge to cover the same distance. Commenting on the achievement, winning driver Ikhwan from Amanz said, “I was really impressed by the four different regenerative braking settings. By choosing the lowest setting, it gave the e.MAS 7 more inertia, which was vital for coasting and cruising - the key to maximizing range in EVs (and even ICE vehicles).”

We managed to clock 11.3kW/100km after having consumped 32% of battery life.

Pro-Net CEO Zhang Qiang remarked, “The Weekend SPARK Media Drive was the perfect opportunity for media friends to enjoy a relaxed weekend while participating in fun challenges that highlighted the capabilities of our all-new EV. It’s our way of showing them what the e.MAS 7 is all about.”

Given the limited driving time during the event, we will share a more comprehensive review of the e.MAS 7 once review units become available.

Additionally, Proton and Pro-Net have announced a special EV charging promotion to celebrate Chinese New Year. From Jan 25 to Feb 3, 2025, all Proton e.MAS and smart vehicle owners can enjoy a 30% discount on charging fees at partner EV charging stations.

Proton and Pro-Net’s charging network continues to expand, thanks to partnerships with various charge point operators (CPOs) such as Gentari, JomCharge, chargEV, DC Handal, CarputZap, and ChargeSini. These collaborations now cover over 80% of public charging stations nationwide.

Notably, the integration of the ChargeSini network marks the first roaming arrangement of its kind, providing seamless access to charging points. Additionally, Proton and Pro-Net’s recent partnership with Shell Recharge will further enhance their network with 180 kW high-performance charging stations along major highways.