Today marked the groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of the first phase of Proton’s electric vehicle (EV) assembly plant, which is located in the high-tech facility in Tanjung Malim.
With an investment of RM82 million, the first phase of this EV assembly plant is expected to be completed by the end of 2025, with an initial production capacity of approximately 20,000 units per year.
The plant will serve as the assembly location for various types of new energy vehicles (NEVs) for both the domestic and export markets, based on the Global Modular Architecture (GMA) platform, starting with the Proton e.MAS7 model.
Various smart manufacturing technologies will be employed to ensure the plant is ready for NEV production, including robotics, cloud-based factory management, the Internet of Things (IoT), and technologies related to Industry 4.0.
At the same time, Proton’s new plant is expected to create over 200 new job opportunities for the local community.
Proton has also planned for a second phase of production as preparation for the increasing demand for EVs both domestically and internationally, with production capacity set to rise to 45,000 units per year.
According to Dr. Li Chunrong, CEO of Proton, “PROTON is transitioning to become an OEM that offers both Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) and EV models as we established PRO-NET to sell smart vehicles before launching the Proton e.MAS 7.
“With the experience we have gained over the past few years in all aspects of these vehicles and customer needs, today we take the next step in realizing our dream of producing and developing EV models in Malaysia.
“The vehicles manufactured at this new plant will meet the needs of customers in the local and export markets and will help drive the growth of the EV market.
“Once completed, production at this new facility will focus on the Proton e.MAS 7 and future NEV offerings as PROTON expands its model range. Ultimately, we hope our success will create a modern and capable automotive ecosystem to encourage more OEMs to consider Malaysia and AHTV as a regional base for EVs,” he further stated.