Who’s up for a car naming competition? An electric vehicle (EV) brand naming competition has been initiated by Proton New Energy Technology (PRO-NET), allowing Malaysians to take part by “decoding” and speculating on the name of the company’s first-ever EV.
It goes without saying that prizes will be awarded to the winners of the EV naming contest with the grand prize winner getting a cash payout of RM5,000. Meanwhile, RM1,500 and RM1,000 will be awarded to the first and second runners-up, respectively. In addition, the top 5 entries in the naming challenge will also be given RM100 prizes.
All contestants have to do to take part is complete the registration form that PRO-NET has made available by clicking this link. To enter, participants must then share the contest URL with friends before the June 5 deadline and decode and rearrange the supplied images or sentences.
The $64,000 question is —which Geely EV model will serve as the foundation for Proton’s first electric vehicle, or will a brand-new model built from the ground up be used instead? We are hearing that it will probably be based on either Galaxy E5 or Geometry E, according to the hidden silhouette seen on the contest advert. Until then, it’s a waiting game as we wait until Proton confirms specifics about the upcoming EV.
“This contest isn’t just about naming a brand; it’s about inviting Malaysians to be integral participants in shaping the future of mobility,” said Zhang Qiang, Chief Executive Officer of PRO-NET. “Proton wants to start its electric vehicle adventure with people at the centre of its vision and is appreciative of the support Malaysians have given us over the past 41 years.”
CARLIST THOUGHTS
So what do you think the base car will be? Our bet is on the Galaxy E5 given the overall shape. But given that Chinese EVs have come a long way, and now offer competitive range, handling, ride quality and charging infrastructure then we think that Proton will benefit greatly from its team-up with Geely.