Mahathir drives Proton's 1st electric vehicle 2 weeks before his 100th birthday

Former two-time Malaysia prime minister Mahathir Mohamad, 99, got his hands on Proton's new electric vehicle.

He was seen getting into a Proton e.MAS 7, the car manufacturer's first electric vehicle.

The electric sports utility vehicle (SUV) is known as the Geely Galaxy E5 in other markets.

There are two versions: Prime and Premium, both marketed under Proton's new energy vehicle arm, PRO-NET

It offers a range of up to 410km and can be charged from 30 per cent to 80 per cent in about 20 minutes using DC fast charging.

The practical range is likely closer to 350km per full charge.

A version of the EV is expected to be sold in Singapore in August 2025 for S$174,000.

Mahathir's Proton legacy

Mahathir's birthday falls on Jul. 10 and he will be turning 100.

The former leader's affinity with and fondness for Proton has been well-documented.

Being driven in one was seen as paying homage to the automobile manufacturer, the brainchild of Mahathir.

He has seen Proton develop from scratch, getting overtaken by Perodua, which is Malaysia's second national car project, to Proton getting acquired.

Proton's legacy

Mahathir was deputy prime minister when he first mooted the idea of a national car project in 1979.

Proton was launched in 1983 during Mahathir's first tenure as prime minister.

On Jul. 9, 1985, the first model, Proton Saga, was launched to both delight and scepticism from the Malaysia public.

The five-speed manual transmission car was based on the second-generation 1983 Mitsubishi Lancer Fiore four-door saloon and powered by a 1.3-litre Mitsubishi Orion 4G13 engine.

It was sold for RM18,000 (about S$16,000 then).

It marked Malaysia's foray into the automotive industry, which was seen as being the purview of advanced economies.

Malaysia subsequently launched a second national car project, Perodua in the early 1990s, which produced compact cars that aimed to dominate the Southeast Asian market.

It performed relatively better than Proton in terms of sales, but both projects' target market overlapped.

China's Geely acquired Proton in 2017.

Top photos via Mahathir Mohamad