At the Malaysia Autoshow 2025, tucked quietly in a corner of Hall A, two Chery models made an unexpected appearance — the all-electric Omoda E5 and the plug-in hybrid Tiggo 8 PHEV. Unlike the other flashy displays, these two weren't showcased by Chery Malaysia themselves, but were instead part of a taxi-focused exhibition. Both vehicles looked the part: the Omoda E5 wore Malaysia’s familiar red-and-white taxi colours, while the Tiggo 8 came in a striking blue. However, they’re not active taxis yet — they’re evaluation units being trialed for approval by the Ministry of Transport (MoT) for future use as hired vehicles. Inside, the cars were fully equipped for taxi service. The Omoda E5 featured a traditional digital taximeter mounted on the dashboard, while the Tiggo 8 PHEV had a rearview mirror-integrated fare meter with a separate receipt printer. Interestingly, when asked, Chery Malaysia’s retail team wasn’t aware of the project, hinting that this initiative might be coordinated separately, possibly under a commercial arrangement. Next to the vehicles, an unmanned booth with a "Big Blue" logo gave more clues. It turns out the showcase is tied to a "Rent To Own Taxi" programme run by Big Blue Taxi Services — a name familiar to many Malaysians. Big Blue, known for their blue MPV taxis, has long shown interest in electrifying taxi fleets. Back in 2018, they had ambitious plans to introduce 20,000 EV taxis by 2020, although that goal didn’t materialize. This isn’t the first time Malaysia has explored electric taxis. In 2022, Mysuri Biz Technologies introduced the TeksiKu project, aiming to lease 1,000 EVs (such as the MG5 and BYD e6 models) to drivers through a cooperative scheme — although updates on that initiative have been scarce. With Chery’s E5 and Tiggo 8 now in the spotlight, it looks like Malaysia’s vision of a greener taxi fleet could still be on the horizon.
Malaysia