BYD is here to stay in Malaysia: CKD with Sime Motors set to happen soon?

Despite the recent changes to policies for the fully imported (CBU) and locally assembled (CKD) electric vehicles (EVs) in Malaysia that may threaten its entire lineup, BYD has sent strong signals that it is still committed to the Malaysian market.

One of them is the remark made by Liu Xueliang, the Vice President of BYD and General Manager of BYD APAC’s Auto Sales Division, during the launch ceremony of BYD Mansion Macalister in Penang last Friday:

“As a responsible technology company, we will continue to bring our best technology and products to Malaysia.

Together with the relevant authorities of the Malaysian government, our distributor, and dealer-partners, we will find a path that is more suitable for the development of Malaysian automotive New Energy Vehicle solutions.

We respect all the policies from the Malaysian government, and we hope to use our effort, wisdom, support, and cooperation to all Malaysian consumers and fans to deliver the best technology and products to the Malaysian market.” – Liu Xueliang, Vice President, BYD & General Manager, BYD APAC Auto Sales Division.

In the same speech, Liu has also revealed that there are now almost 30,000 BYD EVs in Malaysia. According to JPJ’s registration data up until the end of April 2026, BYD is the 2nd most popular EV brand in Malaysia so far this year, with Atto 3, Seal 6, and Sealion 7 being part of the Top 10 EV list.

Fast forward to this morning, Sime Motors revealed that Liu and the BYD team have visited Inokom’s assembly plant in Kulim, Kedah. Inokom is a subsidiary of Sime Motors that provides contract manufacturing services, and the Kulim plant already has experience assembling BEVs, including Chery Omoda E5 and BMW i5 CKD.

Back in August last year, Liu announced BYD’s plan to establish a CKD plant in Tanjung Malim, Perak, which was supposed to be operational by 2026. However, the plan was left hanging in the air when BYD reportedly didn’t agree to the high export ratio and floor price set by the Ministry of Investment, Trade, and Industry.

Today’s revelation by Sime Motors seems to indicate that BYD is still aiming to establish a CKD operation in Malaysia, but will no longer be doing it alone. However, it remains to be seen whether that’s indeed the case since neither BYD nor Sime Motors has provided any official updates regarding this matter so far.