KUALA LUMPUR (Sept 9): Proton Holdings Bhd has set up a new unit, Proton New Energy Technology Sdn Bhd (PRO-NET), to spearhead sales and distributorship of smart vehicles and its own future energy vehicle (EV) offerings.

In a statement on Friday (Sept 9), the national carmaker said PRO-NET will be run by a separate management team.

It said the operations staff will consist of external hires from various industries.

Proton said leading the subsidiary as the chief executive officer will be Zhang Qiang, who has a long history in the automotive industry in China and has been at Proton for the last five years focusing on sales and network development.

Other key members include Salawati Mohd Yusoff, a 25-year auto industry veteran as the chief brand officer, and Sua Chek Hoong, a newcomer to Proton with 20 years of experience in the communications and information technology industry, as the chief information officer.

The management team will report to a board of directors headed by Proton CEO Dr Li Chunrong, and supported by Proton deputy CEO Roslan Abdullah, chief financial officer Wang Huaibing, and vice-president of human capital and admin Amran Mohd Tomin.

Proton said sales of smart EVs are scheduled to start in early fourth quarter of 2023.

It said the first model offered to Malaysians will be the smart #1, and PRO-NET is now laying the foundations for its introduction.

A top priority for the company will be the deployment of charging solutions for customers, and current plans call for the deployment of a home-based and public charging network, it said.

Li said as a Proton subsidiary, PRO-NET has a responsibility to ensure products and services are accessible to all Malaysians regardless of where they reside.