XPeng‘s President Brian Gu said on Sunday that the company is considering Malaysia as a hub for AI and technology development in Southeast Asia.
In an interview with local media outlet The Edge on the Asean Business and Investment Summit, Gu stated that the brand is planning to tap Malaysia’s “advanced semiconductor industry” talent.
“We are actually talking actively with the Malaysian government and also other stakeholders, to think about what else we can use Malaysia as a hub for,” Gu added.
“I think localisation for vehicles is important, so we will be making that investment,” the executive said.
Malaysia has been promoting itself as an EV hub through tax incentives. However, following the trend in several other markets, tax exemptions for imported EVs will end by the end of 2025.
The government is now prioritizing local EV manufacturing, with locally assembled vehicles continuing to benefit from tax breaks until December 31, 2027.
XPeng first arrived in the country in August 2024, via a local partnership with Bermaz Auto. By then, the company launched the G6 SUV in the market.
In March, the first generation X9 multi-purpose van (MPV) debuted in Malaysia, two months after it was first shown at the 2025 Singapore Motorshow.
Earlier this month, the refreshed iterations of both the G6 and the X9 models have launched in the market.
The X9 is the best-selling fully electric MPV in several Southeast Asian markets, including Malaysia.
Since XPeng’s vehicles are currently imported from China, the company is considering local assembly in Malaysia.
Bermaz Auto Group’s CEO, Datuk Francis Lee Kok Chuan, said earlier this month that the company is studying a CKD (Completely Knocked-Down) project, which could begin in the second half of 2026.
As XPeng‘s sole distributor in Malaysia, Bermaz is also deciding whether to import additional cars before the end of this year.
Lee explained that they are “still in the planning stage, but we will bring in some cars to offset the expected reduction in volume, as car prices are set to rise significantly. Prices are expected to increase by at least 20–30%.”
At the same time, XPeng‘s President noted that the company “recognizes Malaysia’s advanced semiconductor industry, very good talents that we can actually use.”
He also highlighted “a good ecosystem with the companies that can provide us with support in adopting some of the latest IC [integrated circuit] design technologies.”
Malaysia, alongside Taiwan, is a major player in the global semiconductor industry.
“So, we will be interested to really explore these capabilities and make Malaysia potentially as a hub for our AI overall technology development,” Gu concluded.
Recently, XPeng has expanded its charging infrastructure in Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand, by partnering with the Singapore-based charging operator Charge+.
The firm has more than 3,800 charging points across Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand, which include Singapore’s largest public charging network and highway charging stations in a total of 5,000 kilometers.
Last week, the brand announced that it has reached its 1,000th vehicle delivery in Singapore in just one year in the market.
XPeng‘s lineup in Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand, Hong Kong and Macau — right-hand drive countries, influenced by the British left-side roads — includes only the G6 SUV and the X9 MPV.
In the UK, the brand has only introduced the G6 SUV since it launched in the island in February.
