Proton has begun construction of its first dedicated electric vehicle (EV) production plant which is said to be the first such facility in Malaysia. Involving an investment of RM82 million and covering both domestic as well as export markets, the first phase of the new plant is set to be operational by the end of 2025.
Once operational, the first phase of the plant will be able to produce up to 20,000 units per year. Proton has also confirmed that the first model to be produced by this plant will be the Proton e.MAS 7 electric SUV.
Aside from e.MAS 7, the plant will also produce other New Energy Vehicles (NEVs) that are based on the Global Modular Architecture (GMA). Proton estimates that the new plant will lead to the creation of more than 200 jobs with an emphasis on EV industrialisation and technical services.
This is before considering the knock-on effect from the supply chain, especially within the vendor community located at the Automotive High Tech Valley (AHTV). In anticipation of growing demand for EVs in the near future, Proton is also ready to expand the production plant, providing an additional capacity of 45,000 units per year.