Special Perodua Ativa Hybrid ‘subscription’ program begins

National carmaker Perodua marked a major milestone today as it delivered the first batch of its groundbreaking first petrol-electric hybrid model to ‘subscribers’ locally. A total of five units were handed over to subscribers during a special ceremony held today at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Kuala Lumpur.

As reported prior, just 300 units of the Perodua Ativa Hybrid will be offered in the local market via a special leasing program that doubles up as a long-term study of ‘mobility as a service’ for the carmaker too. This ‘lease’ lasts for 5 years with a mileage cap of 100,000KM and, besides private individuals, Perodua is also offering the Ativa Hybrid lease to corporate clients via its ‘EZ MOBi’ arm.

“The Perodua Ativa Hybrid would be the best vehicle for us to gain unique insights of Malaysian behaviour as a controlled group. This data will be used to anticipate our customers’ needs when using an electric vehicle,” said Dato’ Seri Syed Zainal Abidin Ahmad, President and CEO of Perodua.

Unlike the regular Ativa that’s on sale now, the special Hybrid variant offered through this lease and study sports several key differences. Key amongst which is of course its ‘series hybrid’ powertrain it harnesses, followed by a number of visual tweaks plus the amount of type of features it’s brimmed with.

Being a ‘series hybrid’, it employs a 1.2-litre 3-cyl petrol mill that’s tasked as a generator to charge up the battery pack which, in turn, powers an electric motor that drives the front wheels. The latter electric system delivers 106 HP and 170 NM, with Perodua claiming a fuel economy average of 31.3 KM/litre (3.2 litres/100 KM).

Though not for sale, the 300 invited subscribers are subjected to an initial one-time upfront payment of RM2,150, followed by a RM500 monthly fee lasting through the 5-year lease. The payments are supposedly all inclusive, covering the annual road tax, insurance, and servicing costs. Apart from which, owners only need to bear the costs for wear and tear, as well as fuel.

On top of which, Ativa Hybrid subscribers will need to agree and consent towards having a GPS telematics system fitted in the car. Perodua says this is being used this to study driving and usage patterns, which includes tracking speed, location, run-time, downtime as well as acceleration and braking characteristics. Additionally, owners will also need to submit regular reports to Perodua.

“While we believe that vehicle ownership will still be our bread and butter, there is a possibility that a vehicle subscription business model may be acceptable for more users in the near future,” adds Dato’ Seri Syed Zainal Abidin Ahmad. The exec further clarified that Perodua already has an existing subscription service, EZ MOBi, but its services are limited to companies and not private individuals yet.

You can find out more about the Ativa Hybrid in this past feature of ours: 6 Facts about the upcoming Perodua Ativa Hybrid.