CONFIRMED: BYD Is Coming To Malaysia Through Sime Darby Motors

Earlier this month, we reported that Sime Darby Motors might potentially bring China's BYD brand into Malaysia.

That news has now been confirmed after Sime Darby Motors officially signed a Distribution Agreement with BYD as the official distributor for the Malaysian market. Is this the beginning of more affordable EVs here in the country? We sure hope so!

Which BYD EV model to come in first?

In the first stage of the BYD brand inception in Malaysia, Sime Darby Motors will focus on bringing in two key BYD EV models - the Atto 3 compact SUV and the e6 crossover/compact MPV.

The final quarter of 2022 will be an interesting time as several news portals have indicated that around 2,000 units of the BYD Atto 3 will be entering Malaysia. There are two variants of the Atto 3 with different BYD Blade EV battery capacities - 49.92kWh (410km NEDC) and 60.48kWh (480km NEDC).

Firepower comes in the form of a front-mounted electric motor that produces 210hp and 310Nm of torque. The next obvious question would be the pricing once it's available here in Malaysia. Our educated guess would be somewhere around the RM100,000-RM150,000 mark and if this is true, the Atto 3 can be the kickstarter model for a wider population due to its affordability.

Sime Darby Motors ready to lead Malaysia's EV push

According to Andrew Basham, Managing Director of Sime Darby Motors, "BYD is the world’s leading manufacturer of new energy vehicles and this partnership will bring BYD’s expertise to the Malaysian market through a wide range of EV models. Our collaboration with BYD is one of the steps Sime Darby Motors is taking towards our aim of becoming a leader in EV. This is also aligned with the Malaysian government’s push towards low carbon mobility."

Liu Xueliang, General Manager of BYD Asia Pacific Auto Sales Division, commented, "Malaysia is a key market for our expansion, as there are vast opportunities for the EV ecosystem to grow and evolve. Given its proven track record and well-established presence in the automotive sector in the Asia Pacific region, we look forward to partnering with Sime Darby Motors to serve Malaysia’s growing EV demand."