The Dongfeng Nammi 01 is an electric hatchback that was released in China earlier this year with a price tag that starts at under RM50,000. A recent development within the local automotive industry may lead to the release of this budget EV in Malaysia.
It came in the form of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between NexV Manufacturing and Central Auto Distributors (CADB). The objective of this cooperation is to establish local assembly operation for New Energy Vehicles (NEVs) from Dongfeng Motor Corporation at NexV’s upcoming NEV assembly plant in Chembong, Rembau.
No specific models was mentioned at the signing ceremony but CADB’s owner, the Malay Vehicle Importers and Traders Association of Malaysia (Pekema) has previously mentioned Nammi 01 when it signed an MoU with Dongfeng last year.
Dongfeng Nammi 01 quick specs
According to Dongfeng Nammi’s official website, the Nammi 01 can be obtained in NINE different variants. Also known as the Dongfeng Box, they can be generally be separated into two major options: the 330 and 430.
Both numbers are essentially referencing to their maximum range although these figures based on a much more lenient CLTC standards. With up to 330km of range, the Nammi 01 330 models are powered by a 31.45kWh LFP battery pack while the Nammi 01 430 runs on a 42.3kWh LFP battery to deliver up to 430km of range.
The AC onboard charger (OBC) module on the two models are also different as the 330 variants come with a 3.3kW module while the 430 models have a much faster 6.6kW module. The website did not reveal the exact DC charging speed that Nammi 01 can support although it did say that all variants can go from 30% to 80% in just 30 minutes through DC charging.
While the vehicle-to-load (V2L) is something that you may expect from an EV made by a Chinese brand, this feature is only available in the 430 variants. These variants can also support vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) charging.
Regardless of whether 330 or 430 models, all Nammi 01 comes with a 70kW (94hp) electric motor that also produces 160Nm of torque. The specs sheet on the website said that the Nammi 01 has a maximum speed of 140km/h but did not list down its 0-100km/h timing.
In terms of dimensions, this is how Nammi 01 looks likes when compared to several RM100k mainstream EVs in Malaysia:
- Dongfeng Nammi 01: 4,030mm (length) x 1,810mm (width) x 1,570mm (height) / 2,660mm (wheelbase)
- BYD Dolphin: 4,290mm x 1,770mm x 1,570mm / 2,700mm
- MG4: 4,4287mm x 1,836mm x 1,504mm / 2,705mm
- Neta V: 4,070mm x 1,690mm x 1,540mm / 2,420mm
Based on the figures above, the Nammi 01 is slightly more compact vehicle when compared to the existing RM100k EVs in Malaysia. This EV also offers around 326 litres of boot space which can be expanded to 945 litres once you lower down the rear chair.
The justification to CKD Dongfeng Nammi 01 in Malaysia
In China, the Nammi 01 330 models are priced from CNY74,800 (RM48,592) to CNY88,880 (RM57,687) depending on the trim level. On the other hand, the Nammi 01 430 price is between CNY92,800 (RM60,286) to CNY106,800 (RM69,381).
When you compare the specs of Dongfeng’s compact electric hatchback against the likes of BYD Dolphin, MG4, and Neta V, Nammi 01 will not be able to compete against them with a RM100k price tag. By opting to have the EV locally assembled in Malaysia, this would free CADB and Dongfeng from the RM100k floor price cap that was set by the Malaysian government.
If things work out as planned, the Nammi 01 will then become the third EV model to be assembled in Chembong after Neta Aya (the facelift version of Neta V) and Neta X. However, let’s not forget that what was signed earlier this week was just an MoU.
There are still plenty of other matters that both parties need to sort out in order to make the Dongfeng Nammi CKD assembly in Malaysia a reality. Designed to support production capacity of up to 50,000 vehicles, NextV’s Chembong Plant is expected to be operational in Q1 2025.
