Malaysian new national car could run on LPG

South Korean automaker Hyundai Motor Co Ltd is leading a consortium, PAP E-Con Co Ltd, to make Malaysian proposed third national car an Autogas vehicle. The group, which also includes Thailand’s PAP Gas & Oil and Malaysia’s Astana City Group (ACG), is among 20 other firms and joint venture companies competing to produce the country’s new national car.

PAP E-Con Co Ltd. plans a special-purpose vehicle manufactured by Hyundai and PAP Gas & Oil and equipped with ACG LPG system and cylinders. The group submitted their proposal to the International Trade and Industry Ministry (MITI) in October last year, and this is the only offer made by giant automaker Hyundai.

Azmi Mat, PAP E-Con Vice President, informed the consortium has allocated significant funds to build a local assembly plant that will produce the Autogas vehicles. “Our plan is to set up a plant in Malaysia that can produce up to 150,000 cars yearly. The cost will be US$2 billion (RM8.2 billion) and it will be fully automated,” he added.

Moreover, Nik Mohd Fareez, ACG Manager Director, also said the group will work towards developing a prototype, capitalising on Hyundai’s technological expertise. This prototype is expected to be launched during the first quarter of 2019. “What we are trying to do is to bring the same successful model used in Japan and South Korea to Malaysia,” explained Fareez at a press conference after the launch of ACG’s new LPG 14kg composite cylinder.

He also said that ACG’s long-term plans involving the third national car include the construction of LPG refuelling stations nationwide, which will also create more economic opportunities for locals, and that the company already sent application forms to build the facilities. For more information, please check this link.

30 January 2019