Perodua’s NxGV Challenge 2025 to help Malaysia’s EV policy development

KUALA LUMPUR: As the country’s largest carmaker, Perodua is committed to keeping Malaysia’s automotive ecosystem and other local institutions relevant in the EV revolution. 

Demonstrating this commitment, the automaker, in association with MARii (Malaysia Automotive, Robotics and IoT Institute) and SAEM (Society of Automotive Engineers Malaysia), rolled out the inaugural NxGV Challenge 2025 last December, which concluded this week at the Malaysia Autoshow 2025.

The NxGV Challenge 2025 invited students and teachers from 15 institutions, ranging from universities, polytechnics, and private colleges, to experiment and study how EVs work under Malaysian conditions. The organisers chose a total of 10 best entries that showcased their own go-kart style EV and tested it at the APD track in MAEPS Serdang. 

The selected teams received specialised training in BEV engineering, UNR/SAE standards, industry-recommended practices, and safety protocols. They performed several tasks such as designing, building, and racing small cars.

NxGV Challenge 2025 categories

• Static Challenge: It involves business planning, cost analysis, and design presentation.
• Dynamic Challenge: In this challenge, the cars are tested on acceleration, skid pad handling, and an autocross circuit.

“Perodua, being the main strategic partner for this event, thanks the institutions of higher learning for participating in this event. Their findings will go a long way in creating a policy that is based on Malaysia’s unique conditions,” said Perodua President and Chief Executive Officer, Dato’ Sri Zainal Abidin Ahmad.

“Aside from sharing our knowledge on EV with Malaysian students and faculty members, this event is also part of our mandate from the government to lead the country’s EV charge under the Malaysia Industrial Master Plan 2030,” Dato’ Sri Zainal said.

“We thank MARii, SAEM and, of course, all the institutions of higher learning for taking part as we pave the way for the future. This event will have a significant impact on the country in the years to come,” Dato’ Sri Zainal concluded.

Also read: MAS 2025: Perodua showcases the eMO EV final prototype