If you drive a Proton e.MAS, the app that locks your car, the navigation that points you to a charger, and the data your vehicle sends now run on infrastructure built and hosted in Malaysia. PRO-NET says it has put more than RM40 million into localising the digital side of its electric vehicles, not only the cars themselves.
PRO-NET, the wholly owned PROTON Holdings subsidiary behind the e.MAS brand, announced the investment on 26 May 2026 in Shah Alam, framing it as part of the National Automotive Policy 2020 and the National Energy Transition Roadmap. The company says its connected vehicle platform now serves more than 300,000 vehicles, including PROTON models, which it describes as Malaysia’s first self-developed vehicle connectivity platform. The system covers remote vehicle control, connected infotainment, charging integration, and the Proton e.MAS app, and has handled more than 8 million remote-control requests for EVs so far.
Editor
Kai T chevron_right
Table of Contents
Why local hosting matters
The headline change is where the data lives. PRO-NET says its platform is now hosted at TM data centres, so vehicle data is stored in Malaysia rather than overseas, which it links to the national push for digital sovereignty. For owners, the more visible payoff is a localised experience: full Bahasa Malaysia support, navigation tuned to local roads, a Qibla compass, and the TheNoor prayer app built into the cockpit. PRO-NET also says it is the only player here with a fully local supply chain for cockpit equipment, with infotainment hardware manufactured in Malaysia.
A local tech ecosystem, not just a car
The platform leans on a roster of Malaysian partners including TM, Maxis, Celcom, Altel, TnG Digital, Maybank, Fasspay, SYOK, MYTV, TheNoor, ChargeSini, and other charge point operators. PRO-NET says the arrangement has generated more than RM10 million in annual value for the local telecommunications ecosystem. That casts Proton e.MAS as a paying customer for Malaysian tech and connectivity firms, not just a carmaker.
"Localisation is not only about where our technology is hosted, but how our services are developed to make EV ownership more convenient, familiar, and relevant for Malaysians," said Zhang Qiang, chief executive officer of PRO-NET.
Charging coverage
On charging, PRO-NET says it has invested more than RM4 million in its platform, which has recorded about 11,000 users, roughly 30,000 charging orders, and close to 790,000 kWh of charging volume. Its Integrated Live Charging Map now lists more than 4,300 charging points nationwide, which the company puts at about 90 percent of Malaysia’s public charging network, all reachable from inside the vehicle.
For Malaysian buyers weighing EV brands, the pitch is that Proton e.MAS controls more of the software and charging experience locally, which should mean features and support shaped around local habits. Whether that beats rivals day to day will come down to how the apps and the charging map actually perform.