KUALA LUMPUR, May 6 -- Proton's foray into the electric vehicle (EV) segment with the e.MAS 7 wasn't just a toe-dip into the electrified waters-it was a cannonball.

Four months as the best-selling EV in Malaysia later, Proton has signalled it's serious about taking EVs mainstream. And now, a second act is brewing.

Rumoured to arrive as the Proton e.MAS 5, the Geome Xingyuan is a compact electric hatchback from Geely's sub-brand, and it's shaping up to be a game-changer.

Expectations are high for Proton to get the pricing of the e.MAS 5 right and if they do (launched at around RM80,000), it would be the first new EV priced below RM90k in Malaysia, effectively kicking the door open for EV mass adoption.

Familiar territory, unfamiliar ti...