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Malaysia is officially entering the EV battery market, with small-scale local production set to begin this month
According to Nikkei Asia, the RM20 million venture by Gigafactory Malaysia aims to challenge a market dominated by global industry giants.
The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of NanoMalaysia Bhd, which operates under the Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation (MOSTI).
"We are on the verge of operationalising Malaysia's first local battery technology production factory," said NanoMalaysia chief executive officer Dr Rezal Khairi Ahmad in an interview with Nikkei Asia.
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Image via Ayyeee Ayyeee/Pexels/New Straits TimesRezal said the project is "likely the first of its kind in ASEAN"
Batteries typically account for up to 40% of an EV's cost, with China manufacturing more than 80% of the world's supply.
However, Malaysia's upcoming battery is not just another lithium-ion clone.
The local battery will reportedly use a nickel-manganese-cobalt chemistry
Enhanced with graphene, the technology could potentially triple the cells' storage capacity.
While small-scale production is set to begin this month, manufacturing at megawatt-hour capacity is expected to begin as early as September 2026.
If successful, the project could position Malaysia as a serious player in global green automotive technology industry.
