According to a report by Thai media outlet *The Nation* on July 5th, Malaysia has introduced new regulations for imported electric vehicles, requiring a minimum CIF price of 200,000 ringgit and a minimum motor output power of 180 kilowatts. These new regulations directly impact Chinese automakers such as BYD, Chery, and Jike, as many of their best-selling entry-level and mid-range models no longer meet the import standards, forcing these companies to adjust their strategies in the Malaysian market. Data from the Malaysian Road Transport Department (JPJ) shows that by 2025, excluding Proton (owned by Geely), Chinese manufacturers will account for approximately 60% of the total new energy vehicle market in Malaysia, with BYD being the best-performing foreign brand. The solution is to build local assembly plants, but new investment conditions have raised the bar, including a requirement that 80% of production must be exported. This regulation has already stalled BYD's plans to build a plant in Malaysia. Currently, brands such as Leapmotor and XPeng are circumventing the stringent export requirements of new projects by partnering with existing local automakers for local assembly.
