Perodua, Sime Darby Motors Discuss EV Development And EV Battery Recycling With MITI

Minister of Investment, Trade & Industry (MITI) Tengku Zafrul Aziz at the recent launch of the Tesla Supercharger Station in Gamuda Cove, Selangor.

Earlier today, Minister of Investment, Trade & Industry (MITI) Tengku Zafrul Aziz revealed via his official X (Twitter) account that his ministry held talks and discussions with key auto industry execs from both carmaker Perodua and conglomerate Sime Darby Motors.

With the latter, Zafrul revealed that MITI has urged the group, which just recently saw its parent firm complete its full acquisition of UMW Holdings, to get involved with the Licensed Authorised Automotive Treatment Facilities (AATF) program established by said ministry.

Present in this discussion were Sime Darby Motors’ Managing Director, Southeast Asia Jeffrey Gan, as well as Syed Ahmad Muzri Syed Faiz, Managing Director of Jaguar Land Rover Malaysia – a Sime Darby Motors-owned division.

Specifically, MITI urged Sime Darby to utilise said program towards the effort of recycling of disposed electric vehicle (EV) batteries. This, according to Zafrul, would ensure disused and disposed EV batteries are recycled in accordance with the Malaysia Standard (MS).

Sime Darby Motors saw its Managing Director of Southeast Asia region Jeffrey Gan and Managing Director of its Jaguar Land Rover Malaysia division present during these discussions with MITI.

Though Sime Darby Motors have yet to issue a statement regarding said discussion with the minister and his ministry, it is worth pointing out that the group is one of the single largest importers, distributors and retailers of premium EVs across a multitude of brands.

Given which, perhaps it would be good for the group to explore this often overlooked area of post-sales involving EVs, especially for the long term.

Besides Sime Darby Motors, Tengku Zafrul’s other X (Twitter) post detailed a discussion held between the minister and MITI with second national carmaker Perodua regarding the automaker’s upcoming EV offering. Present for this was Perodua President and CEO Datuk Zainal Abidin Ahmad. 

Aptly, this is a bid by Zafrul and MITI to address complaints that the bulk of EVs sold in Malaysia at present being rather costly and expensive for most still. Through his post, Zafrul notes that the discussion was held to ascertain the progress of Perodua’s EV development.

Perodua President & CEO Datuk Zainal Abidin Ahmad in talks with Tengku Zafrul about the carmaker's upcoming first EV offering.

Perodua is set to put its first EV offering into production by the end of 2025, and promises to enter the market with a "highly accessible" price tag too. Pictured is the Perodua EMO concept from the Malaysia Auto Show 2023.

Perodua was appointed by MITI to lead in the production of affordable EVs under said ministry’s New Industrial Master Plan 2030 (NIMP 2030). Through this discussion, Zafrul and MITI were also keen to explore how the Government could assist the carmaker in fulfilling this.

Despite citing this effort as a benefit of the nation and the rakyat, the majority of the responses garnered by this particular post wasn’t warm to say the least. Many are calling out the minister – and the ministry – to instead address the inefficiencies of the local public transport services.

Artistic render of Perodua's upcoming EV. Would you fancy one? How much should it cost?

Nevertheless, Perodua’s first EV seems on track with its development and, given what we insiders have hinted, said EV will enter production sometime at the end of 2025 with the promise of entering the market then at a “highly accessible” price.