NexV Manufacturing Sdn Bhd (NMSB), a joint venture company between Careplus Group and the GoAuto Group, will start construction of Malaysia’s first green technology facility dedicated to the manufacture and assembly of New Energy Vehicles (NEVs), including electric vehicles (EVs). The construction of the plant will begin in Q1 this year, while local assembly (CKD) operations of NEV vehicles at the plant are aimed to commence beginning in Q1 2025.
The groundbreaking ceremony of the NMSB plant took place at the Chembong Industrial Area, Rembau, Negeri Sembilan. Officiating the event was Negeri Sembilan Menteri Besar, YAB Dato’ Seri Haji Aminuddin bin Harun, today.
The NEV plant at Chembong Industrial Area will have a production capacity of 30,000 vehicles per year. One-third of the capacity will comprise the assembly of Neta vehicles through the joint venture between Careplus and Intro Synergy, a GoAuto subsidiary and the sole distributor for the Neta brand in Malaysia.
Besides Neta vehicles, the NEV plant will also be open to assembling other NEV brands intending to carry out Completely Knocked Down (CKD) assembly of passenger and commercial electric vehicles (EVs) or electric motorcycles.
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Phase one of the project involves the development of the NEV assembly plant. It is expected to begin in the first quarter of 2024, and is aimed to create more than 600 skilled and semi-skilled jobs with specialisation in EV manufacturing. This is especially in the use of smart manufacturing technologies, including automation, system integration, robotics, cloud-based plant management, industrial internet-of-things (IoT), and other technologies synonymous with the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
Phases two and three of the development will begin in 2026 and 2028 respectively, and will expand the plant’s production capacity to an even bigger 50,000 units per year. The total investment for the plant development is about RM600 million.
As operations of the construction are scheduled to start in early 2025, recruitment and training of the NMSB plant’s workforce will commence as early as August 2024.
Parallel with the production of green vehicles, the NEV plant will also utilise eco-friendly solutions. This includes technologies that produce zero wastewater discharge and zero noise pollution.
Solid waste on the other hand will be processed through recycling centers within the facility. A significant portion of the factory’s energy will also be powered by solar panels to be installed on the roof of the plant.
Apart from Intro Synergy, the Higer and Yutong brands will work with NMSB to assemble all models locally produced under these brands. At the same event, Intro Synergy and Hozon New Energy Automobile, the principal company that produces Neta vehicles, exchanged a CKD agreement, as collaborations for CKD operations in Malaysia. NMSB also exchanged a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Qinghao Huayue Guotai New Energy Car to explore new opportunities for NEVs in Malaysia and ASEAN.
NMSB obtained its interim Manufacturing License from the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI) through the Malaysia Investment Development Authority (MIDA) in October 2023. NMSB had also recently received the Development Order (Kebenaran Merancang) to commence construction of the NEV manufacturing plant from Rembau District Council.
Careplus CEO, Lim Kwee Shyan said, ”We would like to thank all stakeholders including federal and local authorities, local residents and all of our business partners. We hope that with the assembly of NETA V model, more Malaysians will be able to accept and support the products produced by Chembong”.
Go Auto Chairman, Dato’ SM Azli SM Nasimuddin Kamal said, “We take pride in the extensive support this project has garnered from both state and federal governments, contributing to its rapid progress in advancing local assembly and localization efforts within the country. We believe that this represents a significant stride towards fostering greater acceptance and awareness of electric vehicles in the future.”
MIDA CEO, Datuk Wira Arham Abdul Rahman, said, “Congratulations to Careplus Group and GoAuto Group for their collaborative efforts in driving the future vision of sustainable mobility. It is also meant to augment national EV targets defined by the Low Carbon Mobility Blueprint (LCMB) and National Energy Policy (DTN). It also complements the aspirations described in the National Automotive Policy(NAP) 2020 and the New Industrial Master Plan (NIMP) 2030.”
“MIDA applauds NMSB for its commitment to innovation, green energy and industry leadership, advancing Malaysia’s status as a major player in the EV industry while placing the nation at center stage as a pivotal global impetus., We stand ready to offer our full support and facilitation to the local businesses, ensuring a seamless journey for businesses aiming to thrive in our dynamic and competitive market”, the CEO added.
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