JAC Motors will allocate assembly capacity for 3,000 vehicles a year at FT Assembly's plant in Kulim, Kedah, to build its T9 pickup range in Malaysia from CKD kits imported from China, the partners confirmed.

The Chinese state-owned automaker has signed an agreement with its Malaysian distributor Evolvelectric Motors Sdn Bhd and contract assembler FT Assembly Sdn Bhd (FTA), a subsidiary of Malaysian supplier Feytech Holdings Bhd. FTA will handle final assembly from completely knocked-down kits shipped from China, with JAC and Evolvelectric responsible for sales, marketing, and aftersales.

When does each variant start?

The T9 program launches in three staggered waves. Assembly of the plug-in hybrid variant begins in November 2025, according to the partners' announcement. A battery-electric derivative follows in January 2026, and diesel variants enter production later in 2027.

The PHEV model offers a combined petrol and electric operating range of up to 1,000 km on a full charge and tank, positioning it against rivals in Malaysia's growing electrified pickup segment. JAC and Evolvelectric have not yet disclosed Malaysian-market pricing for any of the three T9 variants.

What capacity is on the table?

FT Assembly has committed an annual assembly capacity of 3,000 units for the T9 program — a baseline figure the partners linked to a dedicated line at the Kulim facility. JAC and Evolvelectric are targeting local content of 30% and are evaluating the potential to export CKD-assembled T9s to other Southeast Asian markets from Malaysia.

Who said what?

Evolvelectric Motors CEO Lau Yit Mun tied the local-assembly plan to a longer-term market strategy rather than a short-term volume play.

"This local assembly will help strengthen JAC's long-term presence in Malaysia," Lau said. "JAC and Evolvelectric Motors are building a stronger foundation in Malaysia by producing the pickup truck locally."

How does this fit JAC's regional push?

JAC framed the move as a way to strengthen its position in Southeast Asia's commercial vehicle market, where Chinese OEMs have been building local presence through partnerships with national distributors rather than direct sales arms. The CKD route — importing kits and assembling in-country — is the standard first step before local content can scale toward the 30% target the partners have set.

For FT Assembly and its parent Feytech Holdings, the T9 contract adds a passenger-vehicle program to its Kulim workload, anchoring a multi-year utilization case for the plant and extending a contract-manufacturing model already familiar to Malaysian tier-1 suppliers.

What to watch next

• November 2025: first T9 PHEV units roll off the Kulim line.
• January 2026: start of battery-electric T9 assembly.
• 2027: diesel T9 production ramp.
• Progress toward the 30% local-content target and any decision on regional export markets.