PROTON’s EV factory officially opened by Prime Minister

Less than a year after launching its first EV model, PROTON has built and completed a dedicated factory and started producing the e.MAS 7 locally. Also to be assembled locally at the new plant will be the upcoming e.MAS 5.

Planned investment of RM82 million
The new factory, officially opened by the Prime Minister today, has an initial investment of RM82 million (with RM47 million utilised in the first phase). It has been designed with scalability in mind, allowing for flexible adaptation to future models and production volumes.

The annual capacity will start off at 20,000 units and as time goes by and demand increases (as it surely will with more people switching to EVs), the volume can be increased up to 45,000 units annually.

Built on a 5.57-acre site within the PROTON manufacturing complex in the Automotive High Tech Valley (AHTV) in Tanjong Malim, Perak, the design was carried out in close cooperation with technical partners from Geely. It incorporates a mix of automated and highly trained production operators.

Over 200 new jobs created
To support the ramp-up before the launch, 30 employees were added for critical operational and technical roles and have been fully trained to cater for full-scale production. Eventually, the plant will see a creation of over 200 new jobs, specialising in EV industrialisation and technical services, for the local community.

“The launch of this state-of-the-art EV plant marks a historic milestone for PROTON and Malaysia’s automotive industry. This facility, built with advanced technology and a focus on scalability, will be the backbone of our commitment to producing world-class electric vehicles. The Proton e.MAS 7, which has already been embraced by Malaysian consumers, is just the beginning of our journey towards a sustainable future,” said Dr. Li Chunrong, Chief Executive Officer of PROTON.

Railway cargo connectivity
During the launch event today, AHTV Alliance Sdn Bhd signed Memorandums of Understanding with Railway Assets Corporation and Keretapi Tanah Melayu to conduct a feasibility study on establishing railway cargo connectivity for the AHTV, including a railway logistic hub location.

The proposed logistic hub will support the development of the AHTV by enhancing logistics efficiency through the utilisation of rail transport for the movement of containers to and from the area. The AHTV has been identified as a project of importance by the government under the 13th Malaysia Plan, earmarking it as a high-impact project that will boost the economy by being developed into a hub for New Energy Vehicles and next-generation vehicles with large-scale foreign investments.

The proposed logistics hub will leverage existing infrastructure to support the development of the national economy. The railway logistics hub also emphasises the AHTV’s strong focus on sustainability with the development of a more environmentally friendly logistics network. This also follows the Ministry of Transport’s push to reduce the transportation of containers by road by shifting to rail transport.

PRO-NET’s Journey with Proton e.MAS