Another electric vehicle (EV) brand is making landfall in 2025. It is unsurprisingly from China.
Bermaz Auto Berhad (BAuto) has been awarded the exclusive rights to distribute, sell spare parts, and provide after-sales services for Deepal electric vehicles (EVs) in Malaysia.
Deepal is a brand under Chongqing Changan Automobile Co. Ltd., one of China’s largest automobile manufacturers with over 40 years of industry experience. The brand will take over the former Peugeot showroom in Glenmarie, Shah Alam, marking its entry into the Malaysian market.
According to Kenanga Research, the first Deepal models scheduled for introduction in Malaysia by the first quarter of 2025 are the S05, a compact SUV priced between RM100,000 and RM150,000, and the S07, a mid-size SUV priced from RM150,000 to RM200,000.
Both models aim to compete with existing offerings like the BYD Dolphin and BYD Atto 3, positioning themselves as competitively priced options within the growing EV segment.
Changan Automobile, Deepal’s parent company, operates 13 plants and 34 vehicle and powertrain plants worldwide. The company is also establishing its first overseas production facility in Rayong, Thailand, with Phase 1 expected to be operational by early 2025.
This facility will feature painting, assembly, engine assembly, and battery assembly lines with an annual production capacity of 100,000 vehicles. Phase 2 of the project will see an investment of up to THB 20 billion to build a new energy vehicle production facility, doubling the production capacity to 200,000 vehicles annually to cater to ASEAN and global right-hand-drive markets.
Deepal’s entry into Malaysia is part of Changan’s broader international expansion strategy.
The company plans to sell right-hand-drive vehicles not only in Malaysia but also in Indonesia, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and the UK.
In October 2024, Changan sold 250,832 vehicles in China, of which 85,272 were new energy vehicles (NEVs), including the Deepal S05, which achieved over 10,000 units in sales within its first 10 days of release.
BAuto’s Deepal distributorship is expected to require minimal capital expenditure and faces no volume commitment.
Initial sales are projected at around 500 completely built-up (CBU) units in the first year.
