Bus Cap inks MOU with BYD for energy commercial vehicle platform

KUALA LUMPUR (Aug 19): Pure-play bus builder Bus Cap Bhd (KL: BUSCAP ) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with BYD Malaysia Sdn Bhd, a local unit of Chinese conglomerate BYD, in Shenzen, China, to formalise a collaboration to jointly advance a Malaysia-based new energy commercial vehicle platform. Bus Cap said the partnership aims to establish a localised electric bus assembly and manufacturing facility in Perak under the MOU, positioning Bus Cap as a key local industrial platform for BYD’s electric commercial vehicle strategy in Malaysia, according to a statement on Wednesday. Reflecting this, Bus Cap’s core subsidiary Sin Hock Leong Coach Works Sdn Bhd (SHL Coach) provides an established industrial base to execute this next phase of growth. SHL Coach has been manufacturing for Bus Cap in Perak since 1968. BYD vice-president and commercial vehicle division general manager Luo Zhongliang, who witnessed the signing, said the MOU represents an important step in evaluating the electric commercial vehicle opportunity in Malaysia. “We believe the combination of BYD’s new energy vehicle technology and Bus Cap’s local industrial platform can create a strong foundation for electric bus assembly, manufacturing and deployment in Malaysia,” Luo said. “While electric buses are the immediate starting point, we hope this cooperation will not stop there,” he added. In this regard, while the proposed platform is currently expected to cover production and sales of electric buses, both parties may also evaluate the potential extension of the cooperation beyond electric buses into other new energy commercial and industrial mobility applications. This would include rail-transit-related solutions and a range of electric vehicles, encompassing trucks, forklifts, vans and minibuses, subject to market demand, technical feasibility and definitive agreements. “Our ambition for Bus Cap has always been bigger than simply building vehicles. We want to build, connect and support the full lifecycle of transportation assets — from manufacturing and delivery to after-sales, maintenance and future mobility solutions,” said Bus Cap executive director Bernard Ng Chong Yan. The timing of the initiative notably also aligns directly with the ongoing electric transition in Malaysia’s public transport sector, with the National Energy Transition Roadmap 2050’s planning to integrate over 1,100 electric buses between 2025 and 2030, while Prasarana Malaysia Bhd plans to shift entirely towards electric platforms by 2037. “This structural shift towards electric mobility is expected to create long-term demand,” the statement read.