BYD selects local assembly partner in Malaysia to move ahead with EV production

A BYD Sealion 06 SUV shown at the Beijing Auto Show in April 2026. Credit: CnEVPost

• BYD will make use of Sime Darby's Inokom existing manufacturing capacity; the models and production schedule have not been announced yet.
• Reports say BYD dropped its plan to build a factory of its own, and local assembly will help the company deal with import restrictions and competition in the market.

BYD has chosen a local vehicle assembly partner in Malaysia, moving forward with plans to produce EVs in the Southeast Asian market after reportedly shelving its plan to build a plant of its own.

On Thursday, BYD Malaysia said it had named Inokom Corporation Sdn Bhd, based in Kulim, Kedah, as its completely knocked-down (CKD) assembly partner.

Inokom, a member of Sime Darby Bhd (KL), already puts together vehicles for several global carmakers in Malaysia. Sime Motors, another arm of the group, is also the official BYD distributor in the country.

The two companies made the partnership official with a memorandum of understanding signed at BYD's global headquarters in Shenzhen. The models that will be assembled and the production timeline have not yet been revealed.