Following its appointment as the official exclusive distributor of of BYD passenger electric vehicles (EVs), Sime Darby Bhd is preparing to invest RM500 million into the development of a BYD car network via its automotive arm, Sime Darby Motors.
According to SD Motors managing director Andrew Basham, this partnership is in line with the company’s aim to be a leader in EV with a view towards propelling Malaysia's EV aspirations. “We are excited to embark on this new chapter with BYD following our success in Singapore.”
"With half a billion ringgit set to be invested, this will support our aggressive expansion plans for the brand here and reflect our belief in the brand's universal appeal. BYD's line up of world class vehicles which feature premium specs at an attractive price point is set to be a game-changer to spur EV adoption among Malaysians," he added.
The first showroom is set to debut this mid-December at TREC KL, Jalan Tun Razak, followed by three more at Ara Damansara, Penang and Johor by Q1 2023. A total of 20 showrooms will make its way across the country by 2024.
Additionally, this will prelude to the introduction of the BYD Atto 3, the first all-electric sport utility vehicle (SUV) in Malaysia, built on BYD's advanced e-platform 3.0 and specially designed as a high-performance EV.