The investment, trade and industry ministry (MITI) says Tesla has used components from about 45 Malaysian suppliers directly or indirectly to date, which also involves technology transfer to the suppliers, Bernama reports.
The local producers are used mainly for the provision of semiconductor components, machinery inspection and factory automation systems, MITI explained.
“Although Tesla has never given any commitment to undertake local assembly for its vehicles, MITI, through its agency Malaysian Investment Development Authority, is always discussing the potential of Tesla using the local supply chain for its manufacturing components,” the ministry said in a written reply on the parliament website yesterday.
MITI was responding to Pendang MP Datuk Awang Hashim’s question on the government’s stance and strategy following reports that Tesla has scrapped plans to build factories in ASEAN countries, Malaysia included.
Tesla’s presence in Malaysia demonstrates the carmaker’s confidence in the local EV market as well as the government’s EV policies, the ministry added.
The government will continue striving to attract foreign and local investors in the automotive and related sectors to carry out operations in the country.
“This move will help boost the local supply chain’s capabilities and promote automotive component localisation activities,” it added.
Tesla’s entry into Malaysia in 2023 was through the BEV Global Leaders AP programme, which was established specifically to attract multinationals which are top battery electric vehicle (BEV) producers to set up shop and invest in Malaysia.
Several conditions were imposed on Tesla to participate in the programme, including the commitment to install at least 50 higher-than-180 kW chargers, ensure at least 30% of these ultra-fast chargers are open to non-Teslas, and cooperate with at least 10 local firms to develop EV charging technology here.
Tesla recently posted a job opening for a battery cell supplier industrialisation engineer in Perai, Penang, which is very possibly its first supply chain-related Malaysian job (usually sales-, service- or IT-related).
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