Ten higher-education institutions have built and tested go-kart-style electric vehicles at MAEPS Serdang’s track as part of the first NxGV Challenge 2025.
Launched in December 2024, the contest invited 15 universities, polytechnics and colleges to submit EV prototypes; organisers Perodua, MARii and SAE Malaysia selected the top 10 for the on-track trial.
Perodua’s president and CEO, Datuk Sri Zainal Abidin Ahmad, said the academic teams’ technical data and performance analyses will inform the government’s forthcoming national EV policy, ensuring it reflects Malaysia’s unique conditions.
He said the exercise fulfils Perodua’s role under the Malaysia Industrial Master Plan 2030 to lead the country’s shift towards electrified transport and to integrate local research capabilities into the automotive ecosystem.
Student and faculty participants put their vehicles through acceleration, handling and endurance evaluations, gathering insights on battery management, chassis dynamics and energy efficiency. Perodua, as strategic partner, pledged to incorporate these findings into policymaking discussions with relevant ministries.
Organisers aim for the NxGV Challenge to become an annual platform that bridges academic research and industry practice, accelerates local EV innovation and supports Malaysia’s goal of widespread adoption of sustainable mobility solutions.
By engaging home-grown talent, the event seeks to ensure national EV regulations are grounded in practical test data rather than imported benchmarks.
