According to minister of investment, trade and industry Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz, Tesla’s potential move to establish a manufacturing plant in Malaysia remains under discussion. It was a previously reported in August last year that Tesla had cancelled plans to set up an EV factory in Thailand, Malaysia or Indonesia.
Speaking in the Dewan Rakyat yesterday, Zafrul said the electric vehicle (EV) maker may evaluate commercial viability amid intensifying competition in both regional and domestic markets, reports The Edge. He reiterated that Malaysia’s initial engagement with Tesla in 2023 primarily focused on setting up EV-related infrastructure, such as charging stations and sales operations, while plans for a manufacturing plant are still being deliberated.
“Several other Southeast Asian countries are also seeking to attract Tesla, but competition from other EV brands is affecting their efforts,” Zafrul said. “To my knowledge, Tesla currently has only one manufacturing plant in Asia (located in China). Any decision to set up a plant in Malaysia will ultimately hinge on the company’s commercial outlook,” he added.
The influx of Chinese EV makers has placed pressure on Tesla’s ability to hit sales targets, with Zafrul saying rival brands are offering “more affordable and technologically advanced EV models.”
Tesla is a beneficiary of MITI’s BEV Global Leaders programme, which sets specific requirements that any foreign EV maker must meet in order to expand its footprint in Malaysia. Within three years of approval, a company must set up an office, sales and service centers in Malaysia.
It must also install at least 50 units of DC fast chargers with minimum charging power of 180 kW, and at least 30% (15 units) of these chargers must be open for the public to use, including those with EVs from other brands. Additionally, the company must cooperate with at least 10 local companies and use local contractors for local charging networks.
Looking to sell your car? Sell it with Carro.
Always when i read these news, sure laugh…
Just admit having been conned and remove the priviledges given.
How U think the rich and we are talking the richest made their riches?
You want to court Tesla to open factory in Malaysia?
Simple…
Just apply tarriff on China made vehicles like the USA… Then we will move up the rank in terms of their consideration to setup another plant in SEA.
So don’t say there is no solution to this. People just like to sit on the fence and have no spine.
You want them to open in Malaysia yet allowing so many junks into the country.
Can zafrul stop worshipping to Tesla?
I’m gonna be the next meleisian ambassador to the US so now have to isap kuat2
Maybe can offer them to be an AP-King just like you said AP can determine how safe and EV cars being sold in Malaysia owh wait….
Anwar menang Tesla mari
delusional to the max.
sudah lah. Tesla is dying anyway. Look at the US domestic market, Tesla is doing poorly. So whether or not they build whatever here, it’s not really a big deal anymore. The fad has passed.
Compared to US, Europe and china our market is too small.
If you put ASEAN as a whole, we renegade on ASEAN free trade agreement for motor vehicles causing others to follow. If ASEAN is considered as one huge market, tesla maybe tempted.
You can bluff the kampung hillbillies but not the educated folks. Not economic sense to build factories here when sales is dropping and Shanghai gigafactory has overcapacity. I’m banishing you to the US as the next ambassador
Inikah kualiti CEO bank kedua terbesar di malaise? Macam tahap politikus perikatan je. Membohong numba one
Why Tesla invest in Southeast Asia when the giga factory in China is still under utilised. Establishing a new giga factory in SEA will only add more cost to Tesla. Unless the sales volume is justified and Tesla can sell hundreds thousands of their EV yearly in SEA markets. But I doubt Tesla can do it when the Chinese brands are already investing around SEA for new factory and assembly plants. Gov need to have different tariff strategy on Tesla if gov still keen to persuade Tesla to invest to Malaysia without setting up a new plant here.
As businessman point of view it is really not realistic to Tesla to setup factory in Malaysia. EV sales number not justified and facilities such as charging station progress is still slow.
no need to deliberate, they are not setting up any factory. if they do, they’ve done that already. the west don’t want to collaborate with us especially when PMX said that Malaysia will not bow to western pressure. so the west don’t have to do business with Malaysia. they don’t lose anything.
ZaFool still sucking Nazi dick?
Why is he taking pictures with grannies?
why not ask your brothers from gaza to invest here, we can build their national car