Zeekr to begin CKD assembly in country; 7X to be first model
Autobuzz, 16 Feb '26
Zeekr has confirmed plans to undertake local completely knocked down (CKD) assembly of its models in Malaysia.
Speaking at a media event, Zeekr Malaysia General Manager Eddy Lu stated that Malaysia will become the first market outside China to assemble Zeekr models.
He said the decision reflects the company's plans to expand its operations in Malaysia as part of its broader strategy.
Although no timeline has been announced for the CKD project, Lu confirmed in his address that the first model to be locally assembled will be the Zeekr 7X, which currently records the highest sales among the brand's models in Malaysia.
Zeekr's CKD plans in Malaysia have been under consideration for some time. The proposal was first disclosed in May 2025 by Zeekr Southeast Asia head Alex Bao during a media interaction. Subsequently, Proton, which operates under the Geely umbrella, confirmed that Zeekr would be among the brands establishing operations in the country.
The assembly facility is expected to be located at the automotive hi-tech valley (AHTV) in Tanjung Malim, where Geely has committed to invest MYR 39.5 billion (US$ 10.1 billion) over the next 10 years.
Commenting on the initiative, Lu stated: "Through CKD, we aim to strengthen supply efficiency, enhance the competitiveness [of our products], and also to create deeper roots in this local market. This marks our commitment to expand our operations in Malaysia."
With the tax exemptions for fully imported electric vehicles set to conclude at the end of 2025, local assembly is expected to become increasingly important for electric vehicle manufacturers seeking to remain competitive in the Malaysian market.
This is due not only to taxation considerations but also to a new regulation introduced by the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI), which establishes a MYR 250,000 minimum price threshold for all imported electric vehicle models going forward.
As this will represent Zeekr's first assembly plant outside China, vehicles produced in Malaysia are expected to be exported to neighbouring countries, making Malaysia a right-hand-drive production location for the brand.
