The government has set 2025 as a target for national brands Proton and Perodua to introduce electric vehicles (EVs). The timeline was revealed by deputy minister of international trade and industry (MITI) Liew Chin Tong.
The Iskandar Puteri MP said this in parliament in response to a question by Bangi MP Syahredzan Johan, who asked about the affordability of EVs in Malaysia. The latter posted up a video of his question and Liew’s response on X, and we’ve embedded the post below.
As we already know, while CBU EVs are currently exempt from import and excise duty to boost adoption, the government has set a floor price of RM100,000, which means that no imported EVs can be sold under that mark.
This mandate means that budget EVs such as the Wuling Air – which we test drove in Jakarta – won’t be coming to Malaysia for around RM50k to RM70k anytime soon. The Neta V is priced at RM100k, but is much cheaper in Thailand. Even the BYD Dolphin was earlier rumoured to come in below the century mark.
MITI minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz previously told paultan.org that the condition was put in place to allow local players to get themselves ready for electrification.
“We are giving them (local carmakers) time to prepare for EVs. There have been questions as to why we are not liberalising quicker, but we have to look at the big picture to protect our local automotive industry for a while so that there is a just transition, because it does relate to a lot of employment, from jobs to suppliers,” he said in July.
Liew struck the same tone, saying in the video below that the government’s policy is to develop the local auto industry, with local content. He said that the government welcomes all auto players to set up shop in Malaysia, and CKD EVs won’t have price restrictions.
There’s more than a whiff of protectionism going on with this policy, but it will no doubt benefit the local players and automotive ecosystem, versus opening the floodgates to cheap EVs from China, where players will sell them cheap and take the profits, without laying down roots. Yes, you’ll be able to buy a DSFK Seres E1 for RM60k, but do you really want to? What’s your take on this?
Rebet kereta EV dilihat hanya untuk orang kaya sebab EV mahal. Bagaimana pula EV mampu milik?
Sedutan perbahasan Belanjawan 2024 saya di peringkat jawatankuasa bagi MITI, serta jawapan penggulungan daripada Timbalan Menteri.#DemiBangi #parlimenmalaysia pic.twitter.com/xooaiBjMdI
— Syahredzan Johan (@syahredzan) November 16, 2023
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2025? Why need so long?
Just tukar badge only mah? Tomorrow also can lah.
Not easy to cure a 38-year old drug addict.
The thing is that there is no such thing as an ‘affordable’ BEV at the moment. Almost all the good decent BEVs are much more expensive than their ICE counterparts. The ones which are Myvi/Axia/Bezza priced are unpractical 2 door cars where if one is on a budget better go for a tried and true King. So at the moment BEVs are a rich mans toy. Same like when the Iphone first came out, touch screen phones are the realm of the rich. The Iphone clones were really bad. But in time BEV will become affordable.
It does not help that Toyota is lagging behind in the BEV race being conservative and cautious in its business. Geely seems to be dragging its feet introducing its BEV. Even today it still does not have a price for the SMART ONE! Are they even serious?
BYD is the only one aggressively pushing its BEVs but even their cheapest BEV is than twice the Myvi, Axia or Bezza.
Geely? Proton you mean. Proton are the official importer and distributor of SMART cars, not Geely. Geely is already selling many different BEV’s in China for a while now. Btw, in case you dont know, they have already given a confirmed date for launch which is 5 days away, so the price will definitely be announced then.
Let the automaker figure it out by themselves. Proton can adapt from geely just like how Perodua could learn from Toyota. They are not BUATAN MALAYSIA that we Malaysian can be proud of. You, as the government should let the automakers be ‘free’ like Tesla Malaysia. No middlemen interference is the key to succeed.
takmau overpriced ev aje….jeles thailand ev murah
Better get the EV infrastructure ready.
One more thing. How will P1 and P2 get ready with full EV by 2025?
This will only benefit the RICH and RICHES !!
Cars are getting expensive and expensive even for P1 and P2.
YB TM Government needs to understand have SELLER with no BUYERS, this project will never be success…
How much affordable will it makes?!?! Even manufacturers like P1 and P2 won’t do losing money business !!
Make new laws to protect Rakyat policies… Stop the AP cronies monopoly Malaysia industry, it will only benefit the RICH and RICHER !!!
Tesla FTW!
Below $25,000 there is hardly any attractive EV by any brand.
Mostly safety compromise, 6 airbags, VSC, etc, BSM, AEB, L2 self driving avoid fatigue need to have.
It would be great if Battery Car meet > 4 stars Asean NCAP crash Test, with ADAS.
Battery car should face less accident risk or else it gonna burn at risk.
Byd Seagull is about RM70k to 80k, enough to attract young buyers to turn away from My I and Vios. But government set policy imported EV must start from floor price above 100k.
We need RELIABLE public charging points.
In the US already reporting high numbers of unreliable charging facilities ranging from equipment faulty, transaction failure, SW bugs, and failure to communicate between charging point and the car.
Seems only Tesla and Tesla’s superchargers don’t have much issues.
Our local agencies need to help to standardize the compatibility, strict regulation to ensure service available and respond time to fix all these issues.
Please no panic dumping of ICE car in the name of speculative climate change. The transition must be equitable and as users we have say in this. Most of us are tied with 9 year loans because of high car prices to protect our industry, made worse with low incomes and high cost of living. Where will medium to low cost apartment dwellers charge?
If affordable EV reali coming , then I sell my car
If EV cheaper, who wants to buy your ICE car? lol. As it is EV already cheaper than ICE cars for the same segment/class. Tesla already cheaper than Mercedes/BMW. BYD already cheaper than Toyota. You still stuck in the past? Lol
But why Tesla got the exemption? What kind of “investment” that they promised?
Pushing rich-man’s toys to the poor masses in a country where Axia E is fast becoming a best seller. These people are so out of touch.
Proton Iriz EV?
How hard can it be? One rebadge geely and one rebadge daihatsu, done.
paultan.org/2012/09/28/proton-electric-car-coming-in-2014-parliament-told/
So what does this guy want from Geely and Daihatsu?
Will they be given the same treatment as Tesla? If not then why would they want to bring their EVs in volume?
We are oil producing country… why EV?
You must be kidding me…. 30 years and they can’t even figure out how to produce their “own” ICE vehicle! At the end of the day, they will just slap a badge on a wuling EV and call it “Made in Malaysia” and price it at MYR25k… tagline “Chinese technology, Malaysian style”.
Proton Waja:
we are stuck with p1 p2 where other countries have fair game and they let the consumer choose. this way it lets them to improve n not produce crap cars.
tak payah EV boss , saya cuma nak Sedan original Proton atau +Japan . saya percaya Proton boleh buat kereta sendiri .
bila akan nampak firework?