Chery Omoda E5: Malaysia's First Locally-Assembled Chinese EV.

Chery Malaysia has reached a major milestone with the start of local assembly (CKD) operations for the Chery Omoda E5 at the Inokom manufacturing facility in Kulim, Kedah. This makes it the first Chinese EV to be locally assembled in Malaysia. Other Chinese brands, including are expected to follow soon, with their CKD plants currently under construction in Malaysia.

The Omoda E5, introduced in March this year, is Chery's debut EV model in the Malaysian market and joins their lineup of locally assembled vehicles, such as the Tiggo 7 Pro, Tiggo 8 Pro, and Omoda 5.

In addition, Chery’s sister brand, Jaecoo, has Neta and Dongfeng, also set up a local assembly facility in Shah Alam, where the Jaecoo J7 is currently being produced.

The Chery Omoda E5 is available in Malaysia at an on-the-road price of RM146,800 (excluding insurance) and comes in a single variant. It is powered by a front-mounted electric motor producing 204 hp and 340 Nm of torque, allowing it to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 7.6 seconds.

The Omoda E5 is equipped with a 61 kWh battery pack, offering a driving range of 430 km based on the WLTP test cycle. It supports AC charging at up to 9.9 kW and DC fast charging up to 80 kW, enabling a quick charge from 30% to 80% in just 28 minutes. Additionally, the vehicle includes Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) functionality with a 3.3 kW output.

Currently, there have been no announcements regarding any changes to the specifications or pricing for the locally-assembled version of the Chery Omoda E5.

Chery Auto Malaysia President, Leo Chen, emphasized the advantages of local assembly in a recent statement. "Local assembly not only enables us to offer more competitive pricing, but it also underscores Chery’s long-term commitment to Malaysia, fostering job creation and skill development within the local workforce," Chen stated.

During the line-off ceremony for the locally assembled Chery Omoda E5, Deputy Minister of Investment, Trade, and Industry (MITI), Liew Chin Tong, highlighted that as of September 30, 2024, Malaysia had 32,543 registered Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs), with 98% of them being imported as completely built-up (CBU) units.

Liew also highlighted that in 2023, the automotive sector reported a total import value of RM62.14 billion, significantly exceeding its export value of RM18.01 billion.

This strategic shift aligns with Malaysia’s goal to become a leader in the regional electric mobility market, promoting sustainable growth, reducing trade deficits in the automotive sector, and supporting technological advancements through local expertise and innovation. The move is expected to further strengthen Malaysia's position in the evolving global EV landscape.