DRB-HICOM Bhd is in talks with potential partners to manufacture hybrid/electric vehicles in Malaysia, with the company expecting to “finalise something” by next year, a senior company official said.
“We are talking to two or three parties now and hope to finalise something within 2010. It would take 18 to 24 months after finalisation for the whole thing to come on stream,” group director for automotive Datuk Nik Hamdan Nik Hassan told a press conference yesterday.
He said the move was in line with the Government’s decision to encourage the development of hybrid and green technologies.
Under the revised National Automotive Policy in October, the Government had announced that local assemblers and manufacturers of hybrid/electric vehicles and the development of related infrastructure would be given 100% investment tax allowance or pioneer status for a period of 10 years.
They would also enjoy an exemption of 50% on excise duty for locally assembled/manufactured hybrid or electric vehicles or provision of grants under the Industrial Adjustment Fund.
Similar incentives would also be given to manufacturers of selected critical components supporting hybrid/electric vehicles.
Currently, Honda Malaysia Sdn Bhd and UMW Toyota Motor Sdn Bhd are the only two official franchise holders offering their own hybrid models in Malaysia – the Honda Civic Hybrid and Toyota Prius respectively.
The Honda Civic Hybrid and Toyota Prius are priced from RM129,000 and RM175,000 respectively.
“Honda and Toyota have hybrids now. Rather than just importing, we should consider manufacturing as well, especially where the Government has introduced incentives,” Nik Hamdan said.
DRB-HICOM, through its unit Modenas (Motosikal Dan Enjin Nasional Sdn Bhd), is already in joint development works with Petronas and Universiti Sains Malaysia to build hybrid/electric motorcycles.
“We’re looking at commercialising these units in the months to come and hope to introduce these bikes into the market,” Nik Hamdan said, adding that already there were running prototypes being tested.
Meanwhile, DRB-HICOM expects a 3% growth in its local automotive market share to 120,000 vehicles in an expected total industry volume (TIV) of 540,000 for 2010.
It currently holds a 19% share of the country’s TIV which DRB-HICOM has forecast to close at 525,000 units this year.
The group plans to launch at least 10 new models and upgrades of its various marques and this is expected to spur the growth of its automotive business in the coming year, according to Nik Hamdan.
Among the new launches for next year would be the Audi A5 and R8 by DRB-HICOM’s subsidiary, Euromobil Sdn Bhd.
Nik Hamdan said the group invested more than RM10mil to enhance the Audi brand image in Malaysia and that “our target is to make the Audi brand the top three premium car in Malaysia.”
DRB-HICOM distributes and assembles foreign marques such as Audi, Mercedes Benz, Honda, Suzuki, Mitsubishi, Isuzu, Mahindra as well as local marques such as Proton, HICOM Perkasa and Modenas.
The group will be launching two Suzuki models via its associate company, Suzuki Malaysia Automobile Sdn Bhd, with plans to appoint four new dealers, increasing total dealerships to 34 nationwide.
For the Honda marque, Nik Hamdan said the group was targeting to sell 40,000 units in 2010 versus 37,000 units sold so far this year, adding that there were plans to increase the local content of some of its models to 60% from about 34% currently.
He added that the group’s associate company, Mitsubishi Motors Malaysia Sdn Bhd, was looking at a 25% increase in sales to 10,000 units next year from 8,000 units sold this year.
Variants to be launched include the Pajero and Lancer models, he said.
DRB-HICOM is also investing RM20mil to beef up all its 40 3S (sales, service and spare parts) centres nationwide. The group is also embarking aggressively to export its motorcycles via Modenas.
“We’re looking at the huge Indochina and Indonesian market. I think Indonesia alone can cater to 5 million motorcycles,” Nik Hamdan said.
source: thestar
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