Sime Darby Motors, AstraZeneca Partner To Boost EV Transition

Sime Darby Motors Malaysia (SDM) and AstraZeneca, a global biopharmaceutical company, have formed a partnership to accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) under SDM for AstraZeneca employees.

According to a joint statement, the signing of the memorandum of understanding (MOU) marked AstraZeneca's commitment to transition to an EV fleet in accordance with its Ambition Zero Carbon sustainability programme to reduce carbon emissions and address climate change. 

AstraZeneca's decarbonisation strategy, Ambition Zero Carbon, aims to reduce carbon footprint and achieve net-zero emissions for planetary health, according to The Edge.
“Through partnerships such as this, the company would be able to maximise its transition to EVs to reduce carbon footprint,” the company said.

The collaboration between a biopharmaceutical company and SDM is the first in Malaysia, and it would entail AstraZeneca employees receiving corporate rates to own an EV, specifically BMW, BYD, and Hyundai. 

“We have very clear EV ambitions at Sime Darby Motors, and partners such as AstraZeneca play important roles as enablers in helping us achieve our target of a more energy-efficient product portfolio by 2025 and becoming a leader for EV in Malaysia,” said Jeffrey Gan, managing director, SDM retail and distribution — Southeast Asia, Hong Kong and Macau.