GAC Aion's Thailand plant has an annual capacity of 50,000 units in the first phase and will be expanded to 100,000 units in the future.
GAC Aion, the electric vehicle (EV) subsidiary of GAC Group, opened its first overseas plant in Thailand today, the second plant by a Chinese automaker to open in the country this month after BYD (HKG: 1211, OTCMKTS: BYDDY).
The plant has an annual production capacity of 50,000 units in the first phase, which will be expanded to 100,000 units in the future, enabling the production of a number of models, including the second-generation Aion V, Aion Y Plus, and Hyper HT.
GAC Aion launched its Thailand strategy in June 2023, rolled out its first model there, the Aion Y Plus, in August, and started construction of the Thai plant in 2023, said Ma Haiyang, the EV maker's general manager for Southeast Asian markets.
The Thai plant will introduce new models every year for local production, Ma said. GAC Aion's first global strategic model, the second-generation Aion V, rolled off the production line at the Thai plant.
The plant, located in Rayong province in Thailand's Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC), started construction on January 26 with a planned investment of 2.3 billion baht ($64 million), according to a previous statement.
The first model GAC Aion planned to produce at the Thai plant is a right-hand drive version of the Aion Y Plus, with more models to be produced locally at the plant in the future, it said in January.
The company would build an international talent pool based on its Thai operations to achieve its goal of reaching 1 million sales by 2025, GAC Aion said on January 31.
GAC Aion sold 35,027 vehicles in June, down 22.18 percent year-on-year and down 12.59 percent from May, according to data it announced July 1.
The plant is the second overseas factory opened by a Chinese carmaker in Thailand this month.
BYD's Thailand plant opened on July 4 and saw its 8 millionth new energy vehicle (NEV) roll off the assembly line there.
The plant, which has an annual capacity of 150,000 vehicles, is BYD's first wholly owned overseas passenger car plant.
Models currently produced at BYD's Thailand plant include the all-electric Dolphin and Seal, as well as the Atto 3, known in China as the Yuan Plus.
($1 = THB 35.94)
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