About a week ago, BYD promised to disclose its EV development plan for Malaysia, particularly regarding local manufacturing operations and the future of its CKD facility in Tanjung Malim, Perak. Now, the Chinese automaker has announced that it will not be proceeding with the Tanjung Malim plant. However, this is not the end of the company’s assembly plans in the country.
Speaking during the launch of the limited issue BYD Atto 3 Performance, BYD Malaysia Managing Director Jacob Ma asserted that the company remains committed to local assembly. He went on to clarify that the brand is currently working with an established local assembly partner that has the capacity and capability to meet its requirements.
Furthermore, discussions with this entity have reached an advanced stage, with the company finishing the necessary documentation. He noted that BYD will not disclose the identity of this partner until the deal is finalised, and will make an official announcement once everything has been settled.
Ma also assured that while the company’s plans have changed, its goals have not. Essentially, BYD still sees Malaysia as an important market and a strategic part of the brand’s growth, and as such, it will continue to invest in the nation. Earlier this year, the company revealed its plans to deploy its Megawatt Flash Charging technology here.
For those already in the loop, this outcome shouldn’t come as a surprise. Initially announced in 2025, the Tanjung Malim facility was scheduled to commence operations in the second half of this year. However, the plans hit a snag when the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI) updated its automotive policies. The new regulations require the automaker to export up to 80% of vehicles assembled locally, while also maintaining a RM100,000 minimum price for units sold domestically. BYD reportedly did not agree with these stipulations.
By March, progress on the proposed plant had apparently stalled. Then in May, reports suggested that the company was evaluating a contract assembly arrangement with Sime Motors’ Inokom plant in Kulim, Kedah. It’s possible that Sime Motors is BYD’s chosen local collaborator. It certainly fits the established partner description, either way.
(Source: Nikkei Asia)
