The mass production of a Proton hybrid will be decided after it has been tested through government use in Putrajaya and Cyberjaya next year.

Proton managing director Syed Zainal Abidin Syed Mohamad Tahir said today the company needed to get positive feedback from the government before marketing the car on a large scale.

He added that Proton was now preparing to produce 50 to 200 units of the hybrid, and would start to deliver them this January.

"If we go straight to mass production, we fear we might find problems. So let the government use the hybrid and we'll get feedback from them," he said.

"We hope we can make a decision to market in a big way by the middle of next year," he told reporters at the family fiesta and Proton Innovation and Creation 2010 competition which was also attended by company chairman Mohd Nadzmi Mohd Salleh at the Shah Alam Stadium.

Price of hybrid 50 percent higher

    

The price of the hybrid was expected to be 50 per cent higher than that of the ordinary car, he said.

But people could be encouraged to buy the hybrid with indirect incentives from the government, Syed Zainal added.

It was the same in other countries, he said, where government incentives spurred people to buy a hybrid.    

"If we look at the incentives that governments give in advanced countries - reduction of excise duty, zero registration, free or special parking - (you understand why) people buy the hybrid. Without the incentives, the (sales) volume would never be very high," Syed Zainal said.

On the competition, he said it was among Proton employees to build an innovative car from surplus or unused parts taken from company plants.

The competition with the theme Green Technology was inspired by Proton advisor Dr Mahathir Mohamad, the former prime minister.

The participants comprised 19 teams, including engineers and researchers.

- Bernama