The Malaysian automobile manufacturer Proton has opened its first local electric vehicle assembly plant, as the Southeast Asian nation looks to boost development of its EV industry.
The facility, located in western Perak state’s Automotive High-Tech Valley, Malaysia’s main automaking hub, will have an initial annual capacity to produce 20,000 cars. But that could be scaled up to 45,000 units per annum, Proton said in a statement.
On a 5.57-acre site, the assembly line has now been constructed, which cost about RM47 million (approx. 9,500,000 euros) to conclude the first construction phase. So far, multiple key production lines have been completed, “including the tyre manipulator chassis line, rear sub assembly line, rear spring compress machine, and pallet sub assembly line.” The manufacturer then specified that the “final stages of production are handled by the final line conveyor, which works with the chassis line.”
In the launch ramp-up efforts, Proton hired 30 people to oversee “critical operation and technical roles”, but the plant is planned to eventually employ over 200 people, once operations are fully scaled up and running.
In terms of critical infrastructure, the company has also just signed multiple MoUs with the public transport operators Railway Assets Corporation (RAC) and Keretapi Tanah Melayu (KTM) to do a feasibility study on establishing a railway cargo connection for the Automotive High-Tech Valley, including a railway logistics hub location.
“The launch of this state-of-the-art EV plant marks a historic milestone for PROTON and Malaysia’s automotive industry. This facility, built with advanced technology and a focus on scalability, will be the backbone of our commitment to producing world-class electric vehicles. The Proton e.MAS 7, which has already been embraced by Malaysian consumers, is just the beginning of our journey towards a sustainable future,” said Dr. Li Chunrong, Chief Executive Officer of Proton.
Proton started construction of the factory earlier this year, in February, making the start of production seven months later a rather impressive timescale. At the time, it was said that construction was to end by the end of 2025, and that investment would cost around 82 million Malaysian ringgit (approximately 18 million euros).
Proton is majority owned by Malaysian conglomerate DRB HICOM, while the rest belongs to China’s Zhejiang Geely Holding Group, which holds a 49.9% stake in the company. At the launch event, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim spoke of encouraging the Chinese company to set up not only production faciltiies, but also training and education: “We want … Geely to use this opportunity to establish not only a factory to produce cars but also a center of excellence for training and education.”
Malaysia aims to become a regional hub for EVs and reach a 20% margin of electrified car sales by 2030. A lot has been happening in the Asian nation in this regard lately, with Neta building an EV factory there at the beginning of 2024, Shell opening a major charging hub in July 2024, and Infineon inaugurating a new SiC semiconductor facility in August 2024. More recently, the country’s first battery swapping station was opened in July.
proton.com, techinasia.com, reuters.com
