Careplus, Go Auto JV to begin construction of RM600mil green factory for NEVs

Careplus CEO Lim Kwee Shyan at the groundbreaking ceremony of the plant in Chembong Industrial Area

KUALA LUMPUR: Careplus Group Bhd's joint venture with Go Auto Group Sdn Bhd will begin construction of a RM600mil green technology facility dedicated to the manufacture and assembly of new energy vehicles (NEV), including electric vehicles (EV), in Chembong Industrial Area in Rembau, Negeri Sembilan.

In a statement, the parties said the joint venture named NexV Manufacturing Sdn Bhd targets to commence operations of the facility in 1Q25.

It said the plant will have a capacity of 30,000 vehicles a year, in which one-third will comprise the assembly of NETA models through the JV between Careplus and Intro Synergy Sdn Bhd (a GoAuto subsidiary).

The factory will also be open to other NEV brands intending to carry out completely knocked down (CKD) assembly of passenger and commercial EVs or electric motorcycles, it added.

Phase one of the project involves the development of an assembly plant, expected to begin in the first quarter of 2024.

Meanwhile, phases two and three will begin in 2026 and 2028 respectively, expanding to an even bigger production capacity of 50,000 units per year.

According to the statement, the first phase will create more than 600 skilled and semi-skilled jobs with specialisation in EV manufacturing, especially in the use of smart manufacturing technologies, including automation, system integration, robotics, cloud-based plant management, industrial IoT and other technologies synonymous in the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

As operations are scheduled to start in early 2025, recruitment and training of the plant's workforce will commence as early as August 2024.