BYD has dropped plans to build its proposed assembly plant in Tanjung Malim, Perak, and will instead outsource local production to an established Malaysian completely knocked-down (CKD) assembler.
“The Tanjung Malim facility will not proceed,” BYD Malaysia managing director Jacob Ma said at the launch of the Atto 3 Performance on Sept 10.
He said BYD would be working with a local CKD partner with the capacity and capabilities to support full local assembly.
Discussions are at an advanced stage and documents are being finalised, but Ma did not identify the assembler or give a production start date.
BYD Malaysia is expected to reveal the assembler in due course once the arrangement has been finalised.
Inokom in Kulim, Kedah, has held discussions with BYD as a possible CKD partner, although it has not been confirmed as the contract assembler. Malaysia also has several other established operators capable of third-party vehicle assembly, including EPMB, Stellantis, HICOM Automotive, Tan Chong Motor Assemblies, Berjaya Assembly and NexV Manufacturing. There is no confirmation that BYD has held talks with any of them.
Ma said BYD had also been talking to Malaysian vendors since last year over localisation plans. The first CKD models have yet to be disclosed, while he declined to say whether BYD premium sub-brand Denza would be included in the programme.
BYD Sime Motors managing director Adeline Lew meanwhile said the company had sufficient stock of its current fully imported range to meet demand before locally assembled cars arrive. BYD currently offers seven models in Malaysia: Dolphin, Atto 2, Atto 3, Seal, Seal 6, M6 and Sealion 7.
