Perusahaan Otomobil Kedua Sdn Bhd (Perodua) officially activates its Ativa Hybrid five-year subscription programme as a start of its latest consumer study initiative.
The company’s first-of-its-kind electric vehicle study is divided into two parts.
First is to understand group driving behaviour of a hybrid vehicle in populated locations within the country (Klang Valley, Penang, and Johor Bahru).
The other is to gauge consumer acceptance of a five-year subscription service which Perodua is offering under its existing EZ MOBi arm.
Perodua president and chief executive officer Datuk Seri Zainal Abidin Ahmad said this data would be used to anticipate its customers’ needs when using an electric vehicle.
He said this pilot programme would also allow the compact car company to see customers’ acceptance level on a long-term subscription service as an alternative to the traditional buying and selling of cars.
“While we believe that vehicle ownership will still be out bread and butter, there is a possibility that a vehicle subscription business model may be acceptable for more users in the near future.
“A service where all other obligations of owning a vehicle will be managed entirely by us. All the customer has to do is pay a subscription fee to enjoy the package,” he added.
The Ativa Hybrid uses a Series Hybrid System technology which includes a 1.2L WA-VEX engine as the charger, the Hybrid Electric Vehicle Transaxle, and a HV battery.
The car at present is not for sale and is up for subscription to selected customers for RM500 a month.
The launch of the programme was attended by the Ministry of International Trade and Industry Secretary General Datuk Sri Lokman Hakim Ali, Perodua chairman Tan Sri Asmat Kamaludin and Daihatsu chairman Sunao Matsubayashi.
Perodua does have an existing subscription service managed under its EZ MOBi arm first introduced in 2021, though it is currently only offered to companies and not individuals. – NST ONLINE
