According to a report by The Star, Sime Darby will launch more electric vehicle (EV) models in Malaysia this year. This was revealed by Sime Darby chief executive officer Datuk Jeffri Salim Davidson after the company’s second quarter financial year 2022 results announcement recently.
“EV is here to stay. We have seen very strong demand for EVs in China and Europe. The issues surrounding climate change and government policies will drive the demand growth and accelerate EV adoption. In Malaysia, so far, we have received strong demand for the BMW iX model,” Jeffri said.
The iX was first launched here in August 2021 and was followed by the iX3 later in October the same year, with Sime Darby selling both models through its Auto Bavaria division, which is part of Sime Darby Motors.
This year, Sime Darby chief financial officer Mustamir Mohamad said two new BMW EVs will be launched, namely the i4 and 3 Series Electric. The former was confirmed at the same time the iX was launched and was previewed earlier this year at the NEXTGen Malaysia event.
As for the 3 Series Electric, Mustamir could be referring to the i3 Sedan, which is a fully electric version of the current G28 3 Series LWB that was sighted on the website of China’s ministry of industry and information technology.
Joining the BMW EVs is the Volvo XC40 Recharge EV, a model that has already been confirmed by Volvo Car Malaysia. Registrations of interest for the all-electric SUV have been open since April last year and we could welcome it officially soon, as a unit was spotted in the parking lot of the Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club recently. Volvo cars are sold by Sime Darby through its Swedish Auto division (also part of Sime Darby Motors).
Mustamir noted that all the EVs mentioned will be fully imported (CBU) models and that there are currently no plans to assemble EVs in Malaysia, although this could change if there’s sufficient market demand.
Sime Darby Motors operates the Inokom vehicle assembly plant located in Kulim, Kedah, which is contracted to make BMW, MINI, Hyundai and Mazda vehicles. Meanwhile, Volvo Car Manufacturing Malaysia in Shah Alam, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sweden-based Volvo Cars is responsible for producing Volvo models here.
Besides bringing new EVs to market, Sime Darby will also focus on improving the EV ecosystem, with Jeffri saying the company is looking into becoming a charging stations operator.
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i4 also haven’t launch now talking about i3? I wonder iX and iX3 customer manage to get delivery for their cars with the global chip shortage problem still on-going.
Was told anecdotally by BMW dealer that those who booked during launch will receive iX Mar/April 2022. Later orders will likely only get theirs 2023. Non-official info
I can’t believe how anybody can approve that nose job.
None of the BMWs are available to be delivered this year. There is no price reduction or allotment. I called and checked and return with empty hands