Not official, Says MITI Source On Report About Tesla Abandoning Factory Plans

According to a recent article in the Thai daily The Nation, US electric vehicle manufacturer Tesla has canceled its plans to establish factories throughout Southeast Asia, including Malaysia.
According to the report, citing a Thai government source, Tesla has canceled plans to build an electric vehicle (EV) factory in the region, with Thailand, Malaysia, or Indonesia being the most likely locations.
“Tesla is currently only discussing charging stations, with the factory plans suspended not just in Thailand but worldwide. They are not proceeding in Malaysia, Indonesia or anywhere else except for China, America and Germany,” The Nation quoted an unnamed source.


Last year, Tesla opened a regional headquarters and service center in Selangor, disregarding Indonesia that has been ardently courting the company for much longer. Tesla also announced plans to begin manufacturing EV batteries in Malaysia.
While Malaysia may have won a headquarters and some service and sales centers, the real prize in Southeast Asia remains a Tesla car factory, which may also include a battery plant.


The competition to win over Tesla's business however has come to an end with the company's decision to axe such plans as part of the EV specialist's withdrawal of investment throughout Asia and beyond.

Amid concerns about the US company's other much-hyped programs in South-east Asia, including Malaysia, a source from the Ministry of International Trade and Investment (MITI) said the situation could only be confirmed if Tesla issued an official statement on the subject.
“Please take note that this report is not an official statement from Tesla but quoting an unnamed source.

“Confirmation on the report would have to come from Tesla,” the source told the media. It is also understood that the reported move may have nothing to do with Miti's initiatives on improved investment landscape and industrial reforms since December 2022, and instead be a business decision made by a multinational company on its global operations, Malay Mail reported.