Chinese autonomous vehicle maker inks Malaysia deal

Chinese autonomous vehicle maker Neolix has formed a distribution partnership with Malaysian conglomerate Sunway Group to bring autonomous delivery solutions to the local market, the Beijing-based company said on Oct 21.

Sunway Group President Anuar Taib announced the partnership at Transport Expo Asia 2026, a regional transportation conference hosted by Malaysia's Ministry of Transport. The partnership forms part of a broader set of future-mobility initiatives unveiled by Sunway.

The Memorandum of Understanding said the vehicles are intended for last-mile delivery and transporting goods and medical supplies between facilities, with potential deployment across Sunway's integrated townships and its businesses in property, construction, healthcare, retail, and hospitality.

Founded in 2018, Neolix has more than 30,000 vehicles operating in more than 20 countries and has completed over 260 million autonomous kilometers, making it one of the world's largest autonomous fleets.

Malaysia is one of Neolix's most advanced markets in Southeast Asia. In June, the company said it had gained Malaysian government approval to begin public road sandbox testing in the Southeast Asian country.

The company said it has been conducting sandbox testing in Malaysia for the past three months. The safety assessment process is nearing completion, and the sandbox program is set to enter the Vehicle Type Approval stage.

"Malaysia is one of Southeast Asia's most dynamic logistics markets, and we believe the best way to serve it is alongside the partners who know it best," said Zhao Xin, Neolix's head of Southeast Asia.

Noting that Neolix vehicles are already running on Malaysian roads through partners such as Tiong Nam Logistics and SF Express, Zhao said that, by working with Sunway and the wider local ecosystem, Neolix wants to put technology already proven on public roads worldwide to work for Malaysian businesses.

"The initiatives reflect the group's ambition to harness innovation to improve quality of life while supporting Malaysia's participation in the next generation of transportation technologies," said Sunway Group's Anuar.

Anuar said the collaborations could also create opportunities for technology transfer, talent development, and greater involvement of Malaysian businesses in emerging industries.