Proton Unveils New Electric Vehicle Factory, Malaysian Prime Minister Attends

Recently, we learned from the official source of Geely Group that Proton's new electric vehicle factory located in the Automotive High-Tech Valley (AHTV) in Tanjung Malim, Malaysia, has officially been unveiled. The Prime Minister of Malaysia, Anwar Ibrahim, attended the ceremony and delivered a speech. It is reported that this factory is Proton's first electric vehicle factory and also Malaysia's first new electric vehicle manufacturing base, with a maximum annual production capacity of 45,000 units. The establishment of this factory marks a new stage in the development of the local new energy vehicle industry.

The unveiling ceremony was attended by the Menteri Besar of Perak, Malaysia, Saarani; Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry, Tengku Zafrul; Minister of Transport, Anthony Loke; Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Chang Lih Kang; Chairman of Geely Holding Group, Li Shufu; Managing Director of DRB-HICOM Group (referred to as "DRB"), Chairman of Proton Holdings Group, Tan Sri Syed Faisal; and CEO of Proton Cars, Li Chunrong.

As an important part of AHTV, jointly established by Geely Holding Group and DRB, the new factory adopts highly automated intelligent manufacturing technology, aiming to build an advanced electric vehicle production base. It is noteworthy that since its launch last December, the Proton e.MAS 7, which has become Malaysia's best-selling electric vehicle, will be the first model produced at the new factory. Proton's second electric vehicle, the Proton e.MAS 5, will also be produced at the new factory, further enhancing Proton's new energy product lineup, expanding the strategic synergy between Geely and Proton, and injecting stronger momentum into Malaysia's new energy vehicle industry.

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar stated that amid the energy transition and the upgrading of the automotive industry, the new factory is on the main road of the country's development direction. It is both a strategic achievement of the cooperation between Geely Holding Group and DRB, and a strong testament to the close cooperation between China and Malaysia, creating valuable opportunities for Malaysian engineers to compete in the future automotive industry.

Collaborative Win-Win: Creating the "Proton Model" to Deepen AHTV Project Cooperation

Over the past 50 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Malaysia, the scale of economic and trade exchanges has been vast and wide-ranging. China has been Malaysia's largest trading partner for 16 consecutive years. The collaboration between Geely Holding Group and DRB is a model of deepening economic and trade cooperation between outstanding enterprises from China and Malaysia. It is also a new epitome of Chinese enterprises expanding into the ASEAN market and achieving the full value chain going global.

Proton is a symbolic automobile brand in Malaysia. In 2017, Geely Holding Group acquired 49.9% of the shares of Proton Cars under DRB, taking full control of Proton's management. After 8 years of integration, Proton Cars has completed comprehensive changes in research and development, manufacturing, quality, procurement, and marketing. For six consecutive years, it has ranked second in sales and market share in the Malaysian market, achieving the revival of the Proton brand. Geely and Proton have worked together to create the Proton model with a full industry chain output of "product, technology, talent, and management."

Based on the successful experience of the Proton project, in 2023, Geely Holding and DRB engaged in in-depth cooperation to jointly build the AHTV project, focusing on four dimensions: production, academia, research, and urban development. Together, they aim to create a highland for new energy and new technology research and manufacturing in ASEAN. The AHTV project is also an exploration by Geely to deepen its overseas presence and establish a benchmark for China-Malaysia economic and trade relations in line with regional integration trends. According to the plan, by 2035, the AHTV project will achieve a production capacity of 500,000 complete vehicles, with 50% intended for export; it will also establish a supply chain system for 1 million sets of components, with 50% serving the global market, thus opening a new chapter in the development of the Malaysian automotive industry.

AHTV has been listed by the Malaysian government as an important project under the "13th Malaysia Plan," aimed at attracting large-scale foreign investment and becoming a hub for next-generation new energy vehicle technology innovation. During the unveiling ceremony, multiple parties signed a memorandum of understanding to conduct a feasibility study for establishing a rail freight hub for AHTV.

Seize the opportunities of regional economic integration to create high-quality overseas expansion.

As globalisation enters a phase of reconstruction, the trend of regional integration is becoming increasingly apparent. Geely is promoting the coordinated development of globalisation and localisation. The Malaysian market serves as a bridgehead for Geely to practice regional coordinated development and open up the Southeast Asian market. Currently, Geely’s automotive brands have established a relatively complete industrial chain system in Southeast Asia, with a significant increase in the sales of Geely’s new energy vehicles in the local market. Among them, the Proton e.MAS 7, developed based on the Geely Galaxy E5, has become the best-selling compact pure electric SUV in the Malaysian market, while the Zeekr 009 has won the sales championship in the luxury pure electric MPV segment in both the Thai and Malaysian markets. The outstanding product strength of Geely’s intelligent new energy models is gaining increasing recognition from local users. Malaysia’s AHTV is an important strategic point for Geely to expand into the ASEAN market. Geely will actively embrace new opportunities brought by regional economic upgrades and embark on a new chapter of high-quality overseas expansion.