Daihatsu may rebadge Perodua QV-E

Malaysian Investment Minister Johari Abdul Ghani and Japanese Parliamentary Vice-Minister Takuo Komori discussed a potential Daihatsu-Perodua partnership for developing electric vehicles in Malaysia. The talks, reported by Johari on Facebook, have sparked speculation about the future of EV collaboration between the long-associated companies.

While Daihatsu is a major Perodua shareholder and has historically supplied platforms and components, the national carmaker's new QV-E EV was designed entirely in-house. According to the source report from paultan.org, the QV-E shares no parts with any Daihatsu model. Perodua undertook the project alone partly due to a government deadline and partly because Daihatsu lacked a suitable EV platform to offer.

Potential Outcomes of Partnership Talks

Industry observers suggest the discussion could lead to one of two scenarios. The first possibility is that Daihatsu simply rebadges the Perodua QV-E as its own model. This would not be unprecedented, as Daihatsu has previously sold rebadged Perodua models like the Sirion in Indonesia, which is effectively a Myvi.

A Japanese brand using Malaysian EV technology might seem surprising. However, it addresses a critical gap for Daihatsu, which currently offers almost no electrified models. Its only hybrid is the Rocky e-Smart Hybrid. This lack leaves it vulnerable, especially in key markets like Indonesia, where Chinese EV makers such as BYD are gaining ground.

Perodua's Development and External Interest

The second possibility is that Daihatsu becomes a participant in Perodua's future EV development programs. Perodua president and CEO Zainal Abidin Ahmad confirmed this interest earlier this year. "We've done the EV ourselves. But we've gotten enquiries from them to join us in our EV development," Zainal stated. He added that Toyota has also offered Perodua a chance to build its EVs.

Zainal expressed pride in his team's accomplishment, noting the high cost of the learning process. "I feel proud of our people that we can develop a car and that it has opened their [Daihatsu and Toyota] eyes, and they're now talking about collaboration," he said. Securing Toyota and Daihatsu as clients would be a significant achievement for Perodua, boosting exports and validating its in-house development efforts.

Perodua is already working on a smaller A-segment EV using the same Magna Styer-developed platform as the QV-E. Involvement from Daihatsu and Toyota could help amortize development costs and potentially address criticisms of the QV-E, such as its perceived cheap interior quality. Such collaboration could provide the Japanese firms with affordable EV models for markets like Indonesia, where the locally-built QV-E would benefit from ASEAN Free Trade Area tax advantages.