Besides pure combustion (ICE) and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) models, Omoda | Jaecoo Malaysia (O&J) is now expanding its powertrain portfolio with the introduction of its first-ever all-electric model, the upcoming Jaecoo J5 EV.
Previewed for the first time at the ongoing Oh My Meow Expo in Mid Valley Exhibition Centre, it is essentially an electric twin to the now-popular Jaecoo J5, and given the occasion of its first preview, we can expect some feline-friendly stuff available in this electric B-SUV.
Jaecoo J5, But Make It Electric
At a glance, the J5 EV looks very similar to its petrol twin, with the most notable difference (bar the feline-themed decorations) being the flatter, cleaner front face that swaps the petrol J5’s vertical ‘waterfall’ front grille for a grill-less, EV-like look.
Another slight change is the powered charging port located on the front-right quarter panel and the EV badge on its tailgate, while the car still rides on 18-inch wheels as standard.
Beneath its boxy skin, the J5 EV swaps the 1.5-litre TGDi engine for a single, front-mounted (FWD) electric motor setup rated at 211 PS (155 kW) and 288 Nm of torque. Similar to both the Thai- and Indo-spec J5 EV, this setup enables a respectable 0-100 km/h sprint time of 7.7 seconds, although its V-max is capped at 175 km/h.
Juicing the FWD motor is a 58.9-kWh LFP battery pack from CATL—the same unit found on both its European and Australian versions, larger than the Thai’s 50.6 kWh unit but still smaller than the 60.9 kWh Gotion pack used in Indonesia.
Having said that, this CATL pack is good for up to 402 km of WLTP range (461 km NEDC), while topping it up from 30% to 80% takes just 28 minutes courtesy of a 130-kW DC fast charger. AC charging, on the other hand, is capped at 11 kW, and there’s also a 3.2 kW vehicle-to-load (V2L) functionality.
EV SUV with Pet-Friendly Interior
Just like its petrol twin, O&J really likes to highlight the pet-friendly nature of the upcoming J5 EV, and showcasing this electric B-SUV at Malaysia’s biggest cat expo is certainly a purr-fect way to do it.
For starters, the J5 EV’s interior is lined with a TÜV-certified antibacterial, scratch-resistant and low-VOC faux-leather upholstery, which the automaker claims to be very pet-friendly. There’s also a dedicated Pet Mode that keeps the A/C running and the car doors all locked to allow pets to remain in the vehicle in a very comfortable manner while the owner is outside the car.
To go with those, the J5 EV also retains its ICE twin’s large 480-litre boot space, which is enough room to put your cat bed and a pet carrier. What’s even more impressive is that, despite harbouring an FWD electric motor setup, O&J designers still find enough room to put a 35-litre frunk in this EV SUV.
Other amenities primed here are largely carried over from the petrol J5, including the 13.2-inch portrait-orientated infotainment screen with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, a calculator-style 8.8-inch driver’s metre cluster, a 50-watt Qi wireless charger, powered and ventilated front seats, a panoramic sunroof, dual-zone A/C with dedicated rear vents, a 360-degree camera system, and many more.
Launches in Q3 2026, CKD From Start
Given that this is just a mere preview, we can expect to see the Jaecoo J5 EV making its official market debut sometime later in Q3 this year, and this EV SUV will be available as a locally-assembled (CKD) unit from the start.
This means that we can expect the J5 EV to be exempted from the RM200,000 minimum CIF (cost, insurance, and freight) value for fully-imported (CBU) EVs put out by the Ministry of Investment, Trade, and Industry (MITI), and not to mention the 180 kW (245 PS) power restriction too.
Once it debuts, the J5 EV is set to go against the likes of BYD Atto 2 and MG S5 EV in this ever-competitive EV B-SUV market segment, so expect a price range between RM110,000 and RM120,000 for this pet-friendly boxy EV SUV.
