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Kuala Lumpur: Import permit (AP) holders do not make a big profit for electric car (EV) sales in the country because they bear certain costs and risks in developing the industry.

Chairman of the Young Council of the Malaysian Malay Vehicle Importers and Traders Association (Pekema), Raja Petra Maruddin Raja Nordin said, some parties' accusations that AP holders earned a profit of up to RM100,000 for each EV, especially Tesla, were unfounded.

He said, the value of RM100,000 reported recently should not be taken into account based on the price they paid to buy an EV car in their home country including a variety of factors such as transportation, warranty and operating costs.

"The profit margin taken by the importer from the factory price when reselling the car is normal.

"However, it is necessary to realize that AP holders have certain risks such as market risk, infrastructure cost and responsibility to provide after-sales guarantee and service on their own initiative which at that time most of the infrastructure was not yet available in Malaysia.

"We are also always exposure to risks while operating, especially when bringing in EV cars in addition to constraints such as chip and battery shortages, which also affect prices and cause the inevitable ups and downs of an EV.

"All of these, factors that need to be taken into account in determining the real profit," he said in the media.

Further reviewing, he said, as an AP holder, they are not a direct manufacturer like Tesla who can sell and determine the price of cars directly without going through a distributor or a third party.

"For information, Tesla is the only car manufacturer that currently sells cars directly to customers.

"All other brand car manufacturers use dealers although some car manufacturers provide online configuration and financing," he said.

He said, that factor resulted in additional costs that must be borne to ensure that imported EV vehicles are safe and comply with local standards.

"In this case, we are actually the importers who are pioneers and importers of EV car sales in Malaysia because without our support as AP holders, some EV brands may not enter the Malaysian market.

"So, the accusation that we took a big advantage without any data or references is unfair and an attempt to damage our reputation and role in this industry.

"We play an important role in introducing EV to the people of Malaysia and our efforts should be appreciated in advancing this industry," he said.