EV adoption, AI integration and technician training emerged as major themes across during Automechanika Kuala Lumpur, which ran from May 14-16.
The event brought together 317 exhibitors from 16 countries and regions and 16,523 visitors from 58 countries and regions at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre May 14 to 16.The show covered 12,538 square metres across halls one through six and featured 50 fringe events and activities, including 41 organized by Messe Frankfurt and nine led by industry associations and organizations, alongside 84 business matching meetings involving buyers from 10 countries and regions.
Malaysia’s Deputy Minister of Transport, Datuk Haji Hasbi bin Haji Habibollah, said the country aims for EVs to account for 20% of new vehicle sales by 2030 and 80% by 2050.
“These are bold targets and meeting them will require exactly the kind of collaboration, innovation exchange, and supply chain integration that Automechanika Kuala Lumpur is designed to facilitate,” he said. He added that workshop professionalization, technician upskilling in EV and hybrid servicing and the integration of digital tools across supply chains would be critical to Malaysia’s future competitiveness.
Organizers said 36% of exhibitors represented ASEAN markets, reflecting the region’s growing manufacturing and aftermarket presence. Visitor traffic came from across the supply chain, including carmakers, manufacturers, importers, distributors, workshops, service providers and e-commerce companies. Major brands represented included BMW, Bosch, Chery, Lazada, NEXUS, Niterra, Perodua, Petronas, Shopee, Toyota and Valeo, while exhibitors included Brembo, KOVAX, Stellantis, TecAlliance, TUHU and Xtriton.
The Automotive Mobility Solutions conference featured 20 speakers from Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore and drew more than 560 attendees discussing mobility trends, renewable energy, localization and cross-border investment. Meanwhile, the Collision Repair Training Workshop attracted more than 960 participants and 27 trainers for sessions covering EV repair, AI diagnostics, sustainable painting and Xtriton’s AI spraying robot.
“Talent development is essential,” said Ray Yeong, director of ESnet Academy Sdn Bhd. “We work with OEMs to qualify technicians, and the show helps us showcase our courses to visitors nationwide.”
autoFEST@KL programming included esports competitions featuring racers Leona Chin and Sayaka Shimoda, heritage classics, JDM icons, audio-modified vehicles from EMMA Malaysia and live demonstrations on wrapping and detailing.
The next edition of Automechanika Kuala Lumpur is scheduled for April 8 to 10, 2027.
