Why EV commitment, not just competition, matters in Malaysia

New Straits Times

4 hours ago

MALAYSIA's electric vehicle (EV) market is entering a high-stakes yet challenging phase.
Government-led incentives, shifting consumer sentiment and global climate commitments have created ripe conditions for growth.
But with opportunity comes saturation. In recent years, the country has witnessed a rapid influx of EV players, particularly from China, entering Southeast Asia's most promising green mobility hub - Malaysia.
Yet while access to Malaysia's market has never been more open, true success will not be measured by how fast brands enter, but how meaningfully they integrate.
For automakers, the race isn't about arriving first, it's all about delivering value, building trust, and showing up long after the showroom handover.
A Market That Demands More Than Price and Hype
As the landscape grows more crowded, Malaysian consumers are becoming more spoilt for choice with plenty of options.
Aggressive pricing and high-tech features may catch attention, but long-term relevance demands more.
Buyers want aftersales support, local service, and cars suited for real-world needs and our Malaysian lifestyle.
At the same time, policymakers are raising the bar.
Beyond tax exemptions and import incentives, the government aims to make Malaysia a hub for EV manufacturing and innovation.
A clear example being the target of installing 10,000 EV charging stations nationwide by 2025, a goal that underscores the urgency of infrastructure development.
As the deadline approaches, the focus must now shift from ambition to implementation.
This ambition isn't just about EV numbers. It's about national capacity-building.
Delivering on Malaysia's goals will depend heavily on creating high-quality jobs, enabling technology transfer, and equipping the local workforce with future-ready skills.
From assembly to diagnostics, the EV ecosystem offers opportunities to uplift talent and engage local vendors, ensuring broad-based, lasting benefits.
Depth of Integration as New Competitive Edge
The next phase of Malaysia's EV transition will be shaped not by how many brands enter, but how they will integrate and remain in the long run.
Surface-level participation through imports or quick launches may provide initial lift, but the nation's industrial ecosystem needs deeper roots.
That means committing to local assembly, supplier localisation, and adapting to Malaysian needs, all aligned with national objectives, not just messaging.
Stellantis has taken this approach as a foundational principle.
As part of our multi-brand strategy in the Asean region, we have invested in initiatives that go beyond vehicle delivery.
Our recent milestone, the announcement of our local-assembly operations for the all-new and electric Leapmotor C10, represents this belief in long-term value creation.
Our vision is more than just building vehicles; it's to build strong foundations, trust and opportunities in Malaysia.
Infrastructure: The Test Malaysia Must Pass
While EV demand is rising, infrastructure remains the real-world bottleneck.
Range anxiety and limited charging access still limit scale.
The government's 10,000-charger target is bold, necessary and timely. But progress cannot rely on ambition alone.
Achieving this target requires consistent policy continuity, streamlined processes, and implementation across ministries, agencies, and private stakeholders.
This is not a critique, but rather, a call to collaborate.
Industry players like Stellantis Malaysia are ready to contribute not just through vehicles, but through partnerships that support the ecosystem: from battery innovation and charger accessibility to workforce training and public awareness campaigns.
To accelerate impact, policies must move with clarity and conviction.
The message is simple: Malaysia is no longer laying the foundation. It's time to build.
Malaysia as a Regional Anchor
At Stellantis, we don't see Malaysia as a test market. We see it as a market to grow with.
Our investment in Stellantis Gurun Plant, Kedah to kick-off Leapmotor's local-assembly reflects a strategy rooted in regional growth.
We believe Malaysia has all the ingredients to serve as a launchpad for next-generation EV technologies not only for domestic needs, but as a production and export base for Asean.
As consumer expectations shift and global benchmarks rise, we are committed to delivering models that blend accessibility, performance, and safety, designed for Southeast Asia and backed by real infrastructure and trust.
Co-Creating What Comes Next
Malaysia's EV momentum is real, but what the country needs is alignment.
Between government policies and industry execution. Between public infrastructure and private investment. Between ambition and action.
The coming years will define not just which brands win market share, but which ones help shape Malaysia's industrial and environmental legacy.
The players that succeed will be those who commit not just to compete, but to contribute.
For Stellantis, that commitment is already underway.
With ambitious growth plans across India and the Asia Pacific, the region has been identified as the company's "Third Engine" of global growth.
Malaysia plays a key role not only as a market, but a partner in innovation and regional leadership.
Because real progress isn't about who arrives first. It's about who stays and helps build what comes next.