China’s Neolix receives approval to test autonomous vehicles in Malaysia

[SINGAPORE] Beijing-based autonomous vehicle (AV) and logistics company Neolix has received regulatory approval to begin testing its AVs in Malaysia, it said on Monday (Jun 29).

Approval has been given by Malaysia’s Ministry of Transport under the National Regulatory Sandbox framework for autonomous delivery vehicles. Neolix said road tests will begin in the coming weeks in Cyberjaya, Selangor, which is where the Malaysia Autonomous Vehicle testing route is located.

The route includes restricted zones and public thoroughfares, and aims to assess the vehicles within actual urban settings. Sandbox testing is expected to be completed in phases throughout the second half of 2026.

Neolix is working with three partners on the pilot. Two are Malaysian companies: Tiong Nam Logistics and Asia Mobiliti, which are respectively a logistics and a mobility solutions provider, and MindHub, a Singapore-registered artificial intelligence company.

They will evaluate different applications including parcel delivery, campus logistics and e-commerce deliveries on demand, and will support future commercial expansion across South-east Asia, said the company.

Advancing towards South-east Asia

Neolix characterised the move as a precursor towards expansion in Asia.

“Malaysia represents an important next step in Neolix’s international expansion strategy. We see strong long-term demand for autonomous logistics infrastructure across the region, and Malaysia provides an ideal environment to validate technologies designed specifically for dense urban Asian markets,” said a company representative.

Neolix added that Malaysia’s left-hand traffic system is a “valuable testing environment” for further deployment across Asia-Pacific. Major markets with similar traffic systems include Singapore, Thailand and Indonesia.

In June, Neolix and Singapore-based QuikBot Technologies signed a strategic partnership to build an autonomous delivery solution in the Republic.

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Founded in 2018, Neolix said it has deployed autonomous delivery systems in more than 15 countries and 300 cities. It plans to deploy over 10,000 vehicles across the United Arab Emirates by the end of 2026, and also to expand operations in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Oman.