According to Thai daily The Nation, US electric vehicle manufacturer Tesla has given up on its aspirations to establish plants in Malaysia and other countries in Southeast Asia.
The article quoted a source from the Thai government. It said that Tesla had derailed plans to establish an electric vehicle (EV) factory in the area, with Thailand, Malaysia, or Indonesia being the most likely candidates.
“Tesla is currently only discussing charging stations, with the factory plans suspended worldwide. They are not proceeding in Malaysia, Indonesia, or anywhere else except for China, America and Germany,” the source said, adding that the decision was part of Tesla’s withdrawal of investment across Asia and beyond.
The leadership team that led the business’s entry into Southeast Asia last year has reportedly split up.
Large-scale investments from Tesla and SpaceX, one of Elon Musk’s other high-tech businesses, were announced in July of last year by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. According to Anwar, these investments will result in the creation of tens of thousands of high-value employment in Malaysia.
Additionally, Anwar stated that Tesla would locate its service centers and Malaysian headquarters in Selangor.
Amirudin Shari, the chief representative of Selangor, had stated that the districts of Petaling and Sepang were ready to facilitate and oversee the process of investment admission.
It was his hope that with Tesla’s investments in Malaysia, other foreign battery technology businesses would also want to make investments in the state.
