Sime Darby to gain from BYD’s local assembly plan

Malaysian research house CGS International anticipates Sime Darby will gain from Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer BYD's decision to partner with Inokom Corp Sdn Bhd, a 54%-owned subsidiary owned by Sime Darby, for the assembly of BYD's cars in Malaysia. BYD inked a memorandum of understanding with Inokom at the latter's headquarters in Shenzhen, China.

Although the exact production volumes secured by BYD with Inokom remain unclear, CGS International views the pivot to contract assembly positively for Sime Darby. Inokom, which can produce up to 80,000 units per year with an 80% utilization rate, could benefit from economies of scale.

Sime Darby has been BYD's official distributor in Malaysia since 2022. BYD's shift to contract assembly follows the cancellation of its previous plan to build a plant in Tanjung Malim, Perak, which would have produced up to 50,000 units annually. The rejected Tanjung Malim plant would have had to export at least 80% of its cars and price the remaining 20% above RM200,000 each, according to the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry (Miti).

BYD's contract assembly partnership with Inokom means it is relieved of the restrictions and can enjoy tax exemption for locally-assembled EVs until 2027. CGS International believes this arrangement will bolster the sustainability and competitiveness of Sime Darby's BYD distribution business in Malaysia. The research house also suggests there could be an extension of the EV tax exemption, given the government's emphasis on promoting local assembly.

Currently, BYD offers seven models in Malaysia, but the specifics of which models will be produced locally are not yet revealed. Since entering the Malaysian market, BYD has sold more than 35,000 vehicles, with over 7,500 units sold in the first half of the year.