KUALA LUMPUR: EP Manufacturing Bhd
(EPMB) has launched Phase 2 of its Melaka plant, lifting annual production capacity to 30,000 units from 6,000 currently and advancing its move from a Tier-1 component supplier to a vertically integrated vehicle assembly partner for global automakers.
In a statement, EPMB said it has produced and sold more than 6,000 units of the GWM H6 HEV in Malaysia since breaking ground on Phase 1 in the fourth quarter of 2023.
Pilot production for the BAIC X55 and BJ40 was completed in November 2025, with full production slated to start in January 2026. Pilot production for MG vehicles is expected to begin in February 2026.
EPMB said Phase 3 of its manufacturing plant is expected to be operational by the end of the third quarter of 2026.
It will incorporate in-house body painting capabilities to increase localisation, add value and strengthen the automotive assembly ecosystem in Melaka. The new phase will be built adjacent to Phase 2 on an adjoining eight-acre parcel of land.
Executive chairman Hamidon Abdullah said the launch of Phase 2 marks a major step forward for the group, enabling a significant ramp-up in production to meet rising demand for its customers’ brands in Malaysia.
He said the milestone was made possible through the support of its OEM partners — GWM, BAIC and SAIC — and the dedication of its employees.
“We continue to engage with a growing number of Chinese OEMS that are seeking an assembly and localisation partner in Malaysia. Malaysia is now viewed as an emerging and competitive automotive hub for the Asia Pacific region — especially for right-hand-drive models.
As we deepen our integration with China's highly advanced and competitive automotive supply chain, we are positioning EPMB and Melaka as a hub for Chinese carmakers targeting the Malaysian and Asean automotive markets,” Hamidon said.
Meanwhile, MIDA chief executive officer Datuk Sikh Shamsul Ibrahim Sikh Abdul Majid said EPMB’s Phase 2 expansion reinforces Malaysia’s push into higher-value automotive manufacturing, strengthening domestic assembly capabilities and supporting technology adoption and skilled job creation.
He said the investment underscores Malaysia’s competitiveness as a strategic right-hand-drive production hub for the Asia-Pacific region.
He added that, in line with the National Automotive Policy and NIMP 2030, MIDA will continue to support deeper localisation, stronger industry linkages and investments that drive technology transfer and elevate local supplier capabilities.
The expansion of EPMB’s assembly operations in Melaka is expected to deliver substantial economic benefits, including up to 1,000 new jobs and the development of EEV, EV, automation and advanced manufacturing capabilities, attracting local and foreign automotive players to the State.
EPMB also celebrated the first GWM Wey G9-PHEV MPV to roll off its assembly line.
"The Wey G9 marks our entry into the premium MPV segment, demonstrating our growing capability to assemble vehicles that are larger, more technologically advanced, and more complex," said Hamidon.
