China's carmaker GAC Aion opens EV factory in Thailand

RAYONG -China's carmaker GAC Aion, a subsidiary of GAC Group, opened its Thailand electric vehicle (EV) factory on Wednesday, as Aion's first global strategic model rolled off the assembly line in the factory, marking a milestone in the company's overseas expansion.

As the second overseas plant opened by a Chinese carmaker in Thailand this month after BYD, the factory is located in Rayong province in Thailand's Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC), with a planned investment of 2.3 billion baht ($64 million) and an annual capacity of 50,000 vehicles.

The factory is a highly intelligent plant which applies new technologies such as big data, artificial intelligence, and the Internet of Things to achieve more efficient production of multiple models.

Thailand's Minister of Industry Pimphattra Wichaikul said at the inauguration ceremony that the operation of a new EV factory will promote the transformation of Thailand's automotive industry and help the Southeast Asian country realize its vision of becoming a regional and global EV production hub.

Thailand has long been a major automobile production base in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region. With the help of the Thai government's investment promotion, EVs are expected to account for 30 percent of the country's total vehicle production by 2030.

GAC Aion officially launched its Thailand strategy in June last year and its first product was launched in September. Zeng Qinghong, chairman of GAC Group, said that the company's deployment in Thailand has laid a solid foundation for the latter to become the center of the EV industry in ASEAN.

He added that the company will continue to improve the construction of charging facilities and energy ecosystems in Thailand, and coordinate the upstream and downstream development of the industry chain.

In recent years, GAC Group has vigorously expanded overseas markets. It now operates with automobile sales and after-sales services in 68 countries and regions.