Changan Automobile, one of the “big four” state-owned Chinese carmaker, has begun works on a new manufacturing facility in Thailand, its first in the Southeast Asia region. Located in Rayong province, the new plant will act as the group’s right-hand drive hub, and will produce battery electric vehicles (BEVs), plug-in hybrids (PHEVs), and range-extended EVs (REEVs) for brands under the Changan Auto umbrella, and sold in Thailand as well as other export markets, including Malaysia.
Speaking to The Bangkok Post, Changan Auto Southeast Asia Managing Director, Shen Xinghua said that the plant is expected to begin production of BEVs in March 2025. “This expansion is crucial for our global strategy and underscores our commitment to the region,” Shen said.
Costing over THB10 billion (approx. RM1.27 billion), the new assembly plant is expected to produce 100,000 vehicles per year in the first phase, gradually increasing to 200,000 units annually by 2026.
The plant broke ground in November 2023, and is now already 80% complete, including the main structure and paint shop. Once finished, the plant will span over 400,000 square metres, housing a 3,000 sq-m parts warehouse capable of storing over 40,000 parts of over 2,000 types, ensuring 95% nationwide coverage within 24 hours.
It’ll also feature a 6 MW solar power system that will supply up to 19% of the plant’s electricity needs.
Changan currently sells the Deepal L07, Deepal S07, and Lumin L in Thailand. The Avatr 11 has also been previewed in the Kingdom since 2023, and is set to be officially launched this year, alongside the Changan Nevo E07 REEV.
Aside from Malaysia, the Chinese carmaker also plans to sell the right-hand-drive (RHD) vehicles to customers in Indonesia, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and the UK. The production of left-hand-drive (LHD) vehicles are also planned at the Rayong plant, though the company did not reveal the markets for these cars.
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Changan is the latest in a long list of Chinese car manufacturers that have chosen Thailand as their regional EV production hub, as a result of the Kingdom’s favourable tax cuts and subsidies designed to promote EV adoption in the country.
Also in Rayong are the manufacturing facilities for BYD, GWM, GAC, Neta, and MG. A Japanese carmaker alliance consisting of Toyota, Honda, Isuzu, and Mitsubishi have also committed RM20 billion to setup EV manufacturing in Thailand, but curiously, American carmaker Tesla has reportedly cancelled its plans for a production facility in the nation.
Intriguingly, Changan in 2022 announced plans to set up a production facility here in Jasin, Melaka, at a cost of RM1 billion in partnership with a company named Fieldman EV Sdn Bhd, who has also secured exclusive distributorship rights to the brand in Malaysia. Despite the public announcement, little has been heard from the companies since then.
The Changan and Deepal names were registered as trademarks with the Malaysia Intellectual Property Office (MyIPO) in August last year. The filings were made by Chongqing Changan Automobile Co. Ltd., which could hint at an official reintroduction here in Malaysia soon, this time potentially without a local partner.
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