Tesla Malaysia officially launches Cyberjaya HQ
02 Oct 2023
Tesla Malaysia’s headquarters here has officially opened its doors for business.
The 55,000 sq ft two-storey complex, which was completed within two months worth of renovation works, will provide an all-in-one customer experience for locals.
It is being developed in two phases.
The first phase includes the retail area which will showcase the latest Tesla models, while the second phase will introduce facilities for service, delivery, and after-sales support.
Second phase of the development will come into effect before the end of the year, which according to Tesla Malaysia, will coincide with the official launch of the Model 3 electric vehicle (EV).
Available in standard rear-wheel drive (RWD) and a dual motor all-wheel drive (AWD) long range setup, the car is priced from RM189,000 and RM218,000 respectively.
The other available model at the centre is currently the e-SUV Model Y which is priced between RM199,000 and RM288,000.
Investment, Trade and Industry minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz, who was at the launch, said Tesla’s direct presence will spur Malaysia’s New Industrial Master Plan 2030’s missions to rapidly enable the country’s manufacturing industry to tech up, and push for net zero carbon emissions.
“More importantly, we are confident that the establishment of Tesla’s sales, after sales support, as well as leading battery and supercharging technologies in Malaysia will facilitate knowledge transfer, help elevate our SMEs capabilities that feed into the Tesla ecosystem, and create more high-skilled, better-paying jobs for our people.
“Tesla’s local presence has also catalysed public interest and competitiveness in Malaysia’s electric mobility. I hope Malaysians will share our pride in the launch of the Tesla Centre in Cyberjaya today, merely seven months after the first announcement of its entry into Malaysia.
“This is proof that the ministry and its agencies have been true to our word on attracting the right investments, and on improving investors’ ease of doing business in Malaysia. I look forward to more impactful actions from Tesla over the coming months,” he added.
Tesla has already opened one Supercharger station with eight stalls and plans to open another 12 stations, totalling more than 50 Supercharger stalls, by mid-2024.
They have recruited over 30 local staff and continues to hire as the business expands, with a commitment that at least 80 per cent of full-time employees will be Malaysians. It was estimated there were around 6,000 job applicants during the company’s recruitment day.
Global EV market
According to Tengku Zafrul, the International Energy Agency (IEA) reported that the automotive industry was experiencing a paradigm shift towards more EVs to be on the road.
In 2022 alone, global EV sales soared past the 10 million mark, capturing an impressive 14 per cent of the entire new vehicle market.
In the same year, the global expenditure on EVs exceeded US$425 billion, a 50 per cent increase from 2021.
This surge in demand has led to a 65 per cent increase in the demand for automotive lithium-ion batteries, indicating that the global EV supply chain is expanding at an unprecedented rate.
In the Asean region, the EV market is forecasted to grow to a staggering US$2.7 billion (RM11.77 billion) by 2027, up from roughly US$500 million in 2021. This represents an annual growth rate of almost 33 per cent from 2022 to 2027.
Recognising the need for even greater coordination on EV-related implementations, Tengku Zafrul said it had elevated the National EV Task Force (NEVTF) to the National EV Steering Committee (NEVSC).
This cabinet-level committee is said to focus on addressing complex issues that span multiple ministries, ensuring cohesive decision-making.
Several measures are said to have been undertaken according to the NEVSC’s guidance includes:
– Introduced tax incentives to encourage EV production and critical EV component activities, as well as to boost EV usage in the country. These incentives encompass both direct and indirect tax exemptions.
– The ministry streamlining the Import License requirements for EVs to invigorate the EV market in the country.
– The ministry working on developing industry standards related to the EV industry, such as charging systems, battery disposal activities, and battery swapping.
– The Department of Skills Development (JPK) under the Ministry of Human Resources has developed the National Occupational Skills Standard related to Battery Electric Vehicles (NOSS BEV) for the country’s Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) sector.
– The Energy Commission has prepared a guide, the “Guide on Electric Vehicle Charging System (EVCS)” to provide a conducive business environment for the development of EV charging stations.
– Ministry of Local Government Development, through PLANMalaysia, has developed a procedure on EV charging station development to be used nationwide by all local governments in Peninsular Malaysia, and finally, the Ministry of Finance (MOF) is considering the implementation of EV procurement as departmental vehicles and official position vehicles.
According to Tengku Zafrul, the implementation of NEVTF policies and initiatives has had a positive impact on our local automotive industry.
The number of registered EVs are said to have increased to over 3,400 units in 2022 and exceeded 7,500 units by September 2023, compared to an average of 300 units in previous years.
Furthermore, investments in the local EV industry have reached RM26.2 billion from 2018 up to March this year.
By 2030, Malaysia aims for EVs to constitute 15 per cent of the total industry volume, before rising to 38 per cent by 2040 and 80 per cent by 2050.
Source: NST
