EP Manufacturing Bhd has started construction of a RM200 million vehicle paint shop at its Pegoh manufacturing hub in Melaka, moving the company deeper into complete knocked-down vehicle production.
The facility is targeted to begin operations on June 30, 2027. It will be designed to handle about 30,000 vehicle bodies a year when running extended shifts, with a reported line speed of 15 jobs an hour.
The new paint shop is more than an add-on to EPMB’s assembly line. Painting is one of the higher-value and more technically demanding parts of vehicle production, and bringing it in-house gives the company a fuller CKD package for carmakers: parts localisation, assembly, painting, testing and export support.
According to reports carrying EPMB’s announcement, the facility will cover 16,000 square metres and use robotics, automation, water-based paint and a dry spray system that can cut industrial waste by up to 80%. It will also introduce liquid-applied sound damping technology.
EPMB’s Melaka campus now spans about 58 acres, up from the 40 acres tied to its early GWM work in 2023. The site supports sedans, SUVs, MPVs and four-wheel-drive vehicles across internal combustion, hybrid, plug-in hybrid and battery-electric platforms.
The company is already assembling models for several Chinese brands, including GWM, BAIC, SAIC Motor’s MG and Xpeng. Current and recent programmes include the GWM Haval H6, Wey G9, BAIC X55, BJ40, MG S5 EV and Xpeng G6.
Monthly output at Pegoh has passed 1,000 vehicles. Export activity has also started, with the GWM Wey G9 sent to Thailand and left-hand-drive MG S5 EV units set for South America.
The paint shop puts EPMB closer to its aim of becoming a vertically integrated contract manufacturing partner, rather than just a parts supplier or basic assembler. For the local CKD sector, it also adds more value at home as Chinese brands expand their regional production plans.
