Proton Green Mobility Challenge 2012 electric car project for universities
Having seen Perodua’s success in organizing its Eco-Challenge series, Proton has also gotten into the act of organizing competition for local universities to build their own green cars. The inaugural Proton Green Mobility Challenge 2012 (PGMC 2012) was launched yesterday, and participating universities are tasked to transform a regular Proton Saga into a full electric vehicle.
According to Proton’s official press release, the company sees this project as an opportunity to help enhance and accelerate its research and development activities for its future models. In essence, Proton hopes that the involvement of students and universities will spur creativity and drive innovation.
Ten universities will be participating in the challenge, and they are UTP, UNITEN, UTeM, UNIKL MSI, UMP, UNISEL, IIUM, UTM, UNIMAP, and UKM. The handiwork of these ten university teams will be put to the test in the finals held on 4 – 7 October 2012. The cars will be put through four tests – farthest distance, quarter mile acceleration, fastest time for two laps, and top speed.
According to Proton Holdings Berhad Group Chairman Dato’ Sri Mohd. Nadzmi Mohd. Salleh, “Creativity breeds innovation, and that is precisely what activities like the Proton Green Mobility Challenge 2012 set out to accomplish. Looking beyond the competition, innovation is an instrumental component of success and competitiveness across all economic sectors, and using the fast-paced and rapidly evolving automotive industry as an ideal platform, we believe it will contribute significantly towards advancing and accelerating Malaysia’s technological capabilities on all critical fronts.”
“Proton intends to spearhead not only this conscious and significant shift towards greener motoring by way of engaging in activities to educate the masses of the values, benefits and advantages of sustainable motoring, but also in bridging the gap between the availability of new technologies and the acceptance by both legislators and consumers,” said Group Managing Director Dato’ Sri Haji Syed Zainal Abidin Syed Mohamed Tahir.
Pictures: Official Proton release.
