Proton’s new electric vehicle (EV) plant in Tanjong Malim is almost ready to kick off production this September. The building is 90.4% done, and equipment installation is at 83.5%, bringing the overall progress to 86.9%. Not bad, considering they only started construction in February!

The first model to come out of the plant will be the eMas 7, expected to roll off the line by mid-September. After that, the eMas 5 will follow and although it hasn’t officially launched yet, Proton has teased it a few times.

This new plant is built with future growth in mind. It’s designed to be flexible, so it can handle different models and bigger production numbers later on. For starters, it’ll produce up to 20,000 cars a year, but Proton plans to ramp that up to 45,000 depending on demand – both locally and overseas.

Unlike the usual petrol car factories, this EV plant has special areas for battery assembly, high-voltage safety checks, and electrical testing. The layout is also tweaked to suit EVs, which have flat underbodies and electric drive units.

Proton says the production lines are modular, meaning they can easily add more stations or switch between different models. The logistics side is also ready to grow, with smart storage and flow systems to support both local and export markets.

They’ve already set up important infrastructure like utility systems, material handling paths, and digital tools like MES (Manufacturing Execution System) and WMS (Warehouse Management System). These will help Proton scale up without needing a major redesign later.

A machine try-out test has already been done to make sure everything works properly before moving on to calibration and full production.

Right now, Proton is busy hiring the right people to run the plant. So far, they’ve brought in 30 non-executives with SKM and diploma qualifications. These folks are being trained up to make sure they’re ready when things go full swing.

Looks like Proton is really gearing up for the EV game – padu!