EP Manufacturing Inks MOU On Local Production Of Great Wall Motor Vehicles

EP Manufacturing Berhad announced that PEPS-JV (Melaka) Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary, and Great Wall Motor Sales Malaysia had inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the local assembly and manufacturing of the company's pickup trucks in Malaysia.

With the MOU in place, EPMB and GWM Malaysia are ready to advance their cooperation towards a final agreement within the next three months. As a result, EPMB will be given the crucial task of locally assembling particular GWM models. Among the popular models that are anticipated to fall into this range are the GWM SUV, pickup, and advanced electric vehicles.

GWM Malaysia managing director Mike Cui said the potential collaboration is set to be the group’s first completely knocked-down (CKD) project in the Asean region. “GWM Malaysia is delighted to witness the exciting moment together with EPMB, a reputable Tier-1 automotive supplier in Malaysia. As GWM’s first CKD project in Asean, this will be a significant footprint in GWM's global production landscape,” said Cui.

The partnership represents a calculated step forward for local car assembly, in line with the government of Malaysia's goal to improve automotive capabilities and make a substantial contribution to the industry's expansion in the country. The partnership is anticipated to be crucial to GWM Malaysia's strategy in the Asean region to further establish its market presence with a comprehensive sales, after-sales, and service and maintenance infrastructure network, according to EPMB and GWM, who noted that GWM is present in all major Asean automotive markets. “We are pleased to embark on this strategic alliance with GWM, a strong pickup brand in China with a strong global presence. We strive to foster a mutually beneficial collaboration with GWM, which will contribute to the future growth of both brands,” said EPMB group chief executive officer Ahmad Razlan Mohamed.

EPMB anticipates that the partnership will begin in 2024 and that GWM vehicle production will progressively increase annually to 20,000 units by 2028.