GML sees rising demand for electric buses

“As Malaysia is our base, we hope that our continued growth would allow more economic advantages for the country over the long run such as increased job opportunities, capital investments and innovations in the emerging EV segment,” said GML chairman and CEO Pang Chong Yong.

JOHOR BARU: Johor-based bus and bus body manufacturer Gemilang International Ltd (GML) sees rising demand in the completely knocked down (CKD) segment as more countries, especially the United States, are looking to create or re-shore domestic manufacturing activities.

In a statement, the Hong Kong-listed group said this trend opens new opportunities for it internationally, especially with the growing global interest in electric vehicles (EVs).

“With commitments from many neighbouring countries to reduce and eventually neutralise carbon emission, we expect more electrification in transportations and GML is ready to offer environmentally-friendly solutions for the transition.

“As Malaysia is our base, we hope that our continued growth would allow more economic advantages for the country over the long run such as increased job opportunities, capital investments and innovations in the emerging EV segment,” said GML chairman and CEO Pang Chong Yong.

Through CKD body kit solutions, the group’s business partners can assemble buses in their own regions and enjoy reduced total cost of manufacturing and lower initial capital investments. The companies could also receive incentives and support from their local governments for promoting localisation, while the final assembly works are done locally. The group recently secured its single largest order from Uzbekistan to supply 190 bus body kits, less than a month after it won its biggest order to deliver fully-electric school buses to California, the United States.

The group said the latest contract from Uzbekistan would position it as a strong player in the emerging Central Asia market and would help it to venture into countries such as Belarus and Kazakhstan.