Could An EV Really Work As A Malaysian Police Car? PDRM Is Finding Out

Electric vehicles are becoming an increasingly common sight on Malaysian roads. But using one for the daily commute and using one for police duty are two very different things.

Can an EV cope with the day-to-day demands of police work? What happens when charging becomes part of fleet operations? And could a plug-in hybrid prove useful under a different set of requirements?

The Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) is now getting the chance to find out for itself.

PRO-NET handed over three Proton e.MAS vehicles to PDRM on Sept 10 for a real-world evaluation of how electrified vehicles could fit into its fleet and operational requirements. The handover took place at PDRM headquarters in Bukit Aman.

PDRM isn't simply trying three examples of the same EV. The evaluation involves a Proton e.MAS 5 Premium, Proton e.MAS 7 Premium and Proton e.MAS 7 PHEV Premium Plus, exposing officers to both fully electric and plug-in hybrid powertrains.

PRO-NET says the vehicles will be evaluated under real-world conditions, with drivability, practicality and charging requirements among the areas being assessed.

Gentari will also provide complimentary charging for all three vehicles throughout the evaluation period. This goes beyond the sort of short test drive normally used to form an initial impression of a new car.

PROTON deputy CEO Dato' Ir. Abdul Rashid Musa said the exercise gives PDRM an opportunity to experience the e.MAS range in a real-world environment and assess how the different electrified powertrains perform against its operational requirements.

For a private owner, living with an EV can involve a fairly predictable routine. Drive, charge when necessary and plan longer journeys around the available charging network.

Police vehicles don't necessarily live such predictable lives. That's what makes this evaluation more interesting than simply asking whether the cars are comfortable, quick or practical enough.

PRO-NET itself acknowledges that transitioning a large fleet towards EVs involves more than choosing the vehicles. Daily usage, performance and charging requirements all need to be understood.

The inclusion of the e.MAS 7 PHEV alongside two fully electric models is therefore notable. It gives PDRM first-hand exposure to different electrified configurations rather than evaluating only battery EVs. But it would be premature to declare which powertrain makes the better police car.

PDRM hasn't published its findings, and details such as duty cycles, daily mileage and the operational roles being used for the assessment haven't been disclosed in the announcement.

That's precisely what the evaluation is there to explore.

Feedback from officers using the vehicles will help PDRM understand how EV and PHEV technologies could fit its fleet requirements.

Potentially. And this is where the exercise gets considerably more interesting than a ceremonial handover.

PRO-NET explicitly says Proton e.MAS vehicles could potentially support PDRM's routine operational duties, including crime-prevention patrols.

So seeing three e.MAS models at Bukit Aman doesn't mean Malaysia suddenly has electric police cars.

But the possibility isn't merely speculation either. Potential operational use is explicitly mentioned by PRO-NET as something that could follow in the future.

Of course, Proton badges and PDRM colours are hardly strangers. In fact, Carz previously spotted a PDRM-spec Proton S70 in July 2024, complete with police livery, emergency lights and other PDRM equipment. The same unit had also been seen during preparations surrounding the coronation of the 17th Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

More recently, Proton handed over a single S70 Flagship to the Muallim district police in February 2025 for use as a patrol car around the district, including Tanjong Malim. That car came complete with official PDRM livery, a light bar and siren.

The current e.MAS exercise is different. These three vehicles are specifically being evaluated for their usability and suitability as electrified vehicles before any potential future fleet consideration.

PDRM is conducting the exercise at an interesting time for Malaysia's EV market. According to JPJ registration data compiled by Paultan, 8,833 EVs were registered in Malaysia in August 2026, representing 11.4% of new vehicle registrations that month.

The Proton e.MAS 5 alone recorded 4,770 registrations, making it Malaysia's best-selling EV for the month and fifth among all models in the overall market.

Related: Malaysia Has More Car Brands Than Ever. So Why Do We Still Choose Proton And Perodua?

In other words, EVs are no longer an especially unusual sight on Malaysian roads. Whether they can work equally well on the other side of the blue lights is another question.

That's exactly what makes this evaluation worth watching. A car working perfectly well for someone's commute doesn't automatically mean it can meet the very different requirements of a police fleet. At the same time, assuming an EV couldn't do the job without actually testing one wouldn't tell PDRM much either.

Now it has three different electrified vehicles to put through real-world use and gather feedback from the officers driving them. Whether any of that eventually results in a Proton e.MAS wearing full PDRM colours remains to be seen.

But if an e.MAS 5 or e.MAS 7 eventually appears in your rear-view mirror with blue lights flashing, we'll know where the experiment started.