Malaysian EV registrations surged 113.7% year-on-year to 14,591 units in Q1 2026, driven by competitive pricing and the Proton e.MAS 5’s massive success, despite the end of CBU tax holidays. The market saw 6,239 units in Jan and 3,635 in Feb (a 42% contraction) before rebounding ~30% in March to 4,717 units.
Best-Selling EV Models (Q1):
1. Proton e.MAS 5 (6,701 units),
2. BYD Atto 3 (999),
3. Proton e.MAS 7 (754),
4. Zeekr 7X (696),
5. iCaur V23 (607).
Top 5 EV Brands (Q1):
- Proton (7,455 units),
- 2. BYD (2,261),
- 3. Chery (1,031),
- 4. Zeekr (857),
- 5. Tesla (658).
Proton dominated with 2,377 units in March alone, maintaining its lead. The market saw a significant rebound in March 2026 due to deferred deliveries for brands like BYD and Tesla, which saw 87% and 135% month-on-month increases, respectively
Lowest Selling EV Models (Q1 2026)
Perodua QV-E: This model is currently among the worst-selling EVs, recording zero registrations in January 2026. For the entire first quarter, it registered only 11 units, placing it near the bottom (#29) of the top 30 EV list. Analysts suggest its low sales may be due to its “Battery as a Service” (BaaS) strategy, where users must pay separate battery rental fees, which has seen low consumer acceptance.
Notable PHEV/Hybrid New arrivals In Malaysia:
Chery Tiggo 7 PHEV: RM129,800
Chery Tiggo Cross Hybrid: RM99,800
GWM WEY G9 (PHEV MPV): RM269,800
Nissan Serena e-POWER (C28): RM154,800
Omoda C9 PHEV: RM208,000
Best Selling ICE Vehicles (Q1 Jan-Mar 2026)
Proton Saga (MC3): Continued to be the backbone of Proton’s portfolio, with 5,438 units in March alone, leading volume for the first quarter.
Proton X50: Held its position as a leading B-segment SUV with 3,265 units in March.
Perodua Alza: Remained a top contender, recording 2,474 units in March with strong quarterly numbers (8,691 units YTD).
Proton S70: Strong performance with 2,254 units in March and 5,798 units in YTD.
Perodua Ativa: Remained popular in the compact SUV segment (1,920 units in March).
Honda HR-V: Lead Japanese brand model (1,832 units in March).
Toyota Hilux: Remained the dominant pick-up truck with 1,749 units in March
Recent Success Stories NEW ICE Vehicles To Watch Closely
Mitsubishi Force at 3,500 bookings
Jetour T2 at 4,600 bookings
