BYD EVs will soon be rolling out alongside BMWs and Porsches at Inokom’s facility in Kulim.
It seems that the CKD kerfuffle involving BYD and MITI has finally been resolved, as the Chinese automaker has recently announced that it will be locally assembling its cars with Inokom. A subsidiary of the Sime Motors group, which incidentally is also the local principal for BYD, it will not be long before these cars start rolling out of the facility in Kulim, Kedah.
The announcement of Inokom being picked as BYD’s local assembly partner follows the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at BYD’s global headquarters in Shenzhen, China, formalising the collaboration between both parties. BYD Malaysia states that it appointed Inokom following an assessment of the local market and available manufacturing capabilities, with the latter already involved in assembling everything from BMWs to Porsches, as well as models outside the Sime portfolio, like Mazdas and Cherys.
Further details on the local assembly programme will be shared in due course, with no mention yet of the exact timeline or which models will be the first to roll off the line in Kulim. BYD nevertheless currently has seven models in its Malaysian line-up, namely the Dolphin, Atto 2, Atto 3, Seal, Seal 6, Sealion 7 and M6, while its luxury arm Denza has three models comprising the D9, Z9 GT and B8.
This will also mark BYD’s third local assembly operation in Southeast Asia, following the establishment of its own manufacturing facilities in Thailand and Indonesia. While the move is certainly a positive development for Malaysia’s automotive industry, it is worth remembering that this CKD partnership comes after BYD had an uphill battle with a certain government ministry over its earlier attempts to establish its own assembly operations here.
“Local assembly is an important part of BYD’s long-term commitment to Malaysia. Partnering with Sime to assemble at Inokom allows us to build on established automotive manufacturing capabilities as we progress our local assembly plans. We aim to bring BYD’s expertise in new energy vehicles and battery technologies closer to the Malaysian market while contributing to the continued development of the local automotive industry.
“This partnership marks another step in BYD’s growth in Malaysia alongside BYD Sime Motors. We remain focused on developing our local presence and exploring opportunities to deepen our investment in Malaysia through collaboration with local industry partners,” said Jacob Ma, Managing Director of BYD Malaysia.
“BYD’s decision to partner with Sime reflects the strength of Malaysia’s automotive manufacturing capabilities and the expertise we have developed over the years. Our experience in vehicle assembly, supported by an established workforce and local supply chain, provides a strong foundation for this collaboration.
“Beyond vehicle assembly, partnerships such as this create opportunities to strengthen Malaysia’s automotive ecosystem, support local businesses and develop capabilities that can contribute to the industry’s long-term growth. We look forward to working with BYD Malaysia to build on these strengths and create greater value for Malaysia’s automotive sector,” said Dato’ Jeffri Salim Davidson, Group Chief Executive Officer of Sime.
This latest collaborative CKD arrangement with Inokom will mark BYD’s third local assembly operation in Southeast Asia, following the opening of its own facilities in Thailand and Indonesia. And while it is certainly good news that BYD will be assembling its cars locally in Malaysia, it is nevertheless worth highlighting that this CKD partnership with Inokom only comes after the Chinese automaker faced an uphill battle with a certain government ministry over its initial attempts to go it alone.
