Proton is injecting up to RM37 million into expanding its New Energy Vehicle (NEV) plant in Tanjong Malim, after stronger-than-expected e.MAS 5 demand pushed the company to speed up its capacity plan.
The term NEV, first coined in China, covers battery EVs, plug-in hybrids and fuel-cell vehicles.
The expansion would raise annual capacity at the Automotive High-Tech Valley (AHTV) facility from 20,000 units to 42,000 units. The move comes less than a year after Proton opened Malaysia’s first electric vehicle (EV) assembly plant at the site.
The plant was launched in 2025 with a RM47 million first phase. Proton said then that the full facility was being built at a total cost of RM82 million on a 5.57-acre site, with capacity able to rise to 45,000 units a year as demand grew.
The latest expansion is driven largely by the e.MAS 5, Proton’s smaller EV.
The e.MAS 5 recorded 8,472 deliveries in the first four months of 2026, making it the strongest contributor to the brand’s NEV sales. The model is expected to join the e.MAS 7 on the local assembly line in Tanjong Malim, which should help shorten delivery times.
Proton’s own recent figures show why the capacity increase is being fast-tracked. Pro-NET, the sales and distribution arm for Proton New Energy Vehicles, said Proton e.MAS sales rose 329.5% in the first four months of 2026, with 11,617 units delivered nationwide.
Pro-NET now operates 53 Proton e.MAS sales outlets nationwide, backed by around 1,600 people across sales, service and administration. New outlets in Kuala Lumpur’s Jalan Sultan Ismail and Pavilion Bukit Jalil are also introducing the brand’s latest showroom identity.
Beyond shorter waiting times, the expansion gives Proton more breathing room as it builds e.MAS models locally.
