Geely-Backed Proton Kicks Off Production at Malaysia’s First EV Plant

The first model to roll off the Malaysian plant line pertains to the e.MAS 7, marking Proton’s first EV, followed by the entry-level e.MAS 5.

On September 4, Reuters reported that Proton Holdings Berhad, the Malaysian automaker partially owned by Geely Automobile Holdings Ltd., announced that its new electric vehicle (EV) plant in Tanjung Malim, Perak, Malaysia, has officially commenced production.

The plant is part of a “Automotive High-Tech Valley” jointly developed by Proton and Malaysia’s major conglomerate DRB-Hicom. DRB-Hicom holds the majority stake in Proton, while the remaining 49.9% is owned by China’s Geely Holding Group.

Located in Malaysia’s key automotive manufacturing hub, the facility represents an investment of approximately RM82 million ($19.4 million), with an initial annual production capacity of 20,000 vehicles, and plans to expand up to 45,000 units in the future.

While other automakers have assembly lines for EVs in Malaysia, this plant is the country’s first full-scale EV production plant.

Proton stated that the first model to roll off the line is the e.MAS 7, built on the same platform as China’s Geely Galaxy E5, marking Proton’s inargural EV.

The e.MAS 7 has been well received in Southeast Asia, receiving 2,500 orders in its first month, with cumulative sales exceeding 4,000 units in the first half of the year.

The e.MAS 7 is available in Malaysia for two trims, Prime and Premium, priced at RM109,800 ($25,000) and RM123,800 ($28,700), respectively.

Another model, the e.MAS 5 (Geely Xingyue right-hand drive version), is also planned to enter the plant’s production line in the future.

In recent years, the Malaysian government has been promoting the development of the local EV industry, aiming for electric and hybrid vehicles to account for 20% of new car sales by 2030.

The launch of Proton’s EV plant in Malaysia represents a significant step in Geely’s globalization strategy, providing a local production base to better export its EV technology.