China's carmaker Great Wall Motors sees first EV roll off line in Thailand

China's carmaker Great Wall Motors (GWM) sees the first electric vehicle (EV) roll off the production line in Thailand on Friday, making a significant breakthrough as the first locally produced pure electric vehicle.

GWM, China's largest SUV and pickup maker, owning multiple brands including HAVAL, ORA, TANK and WEY, initiated its car production at the Rayong factory in Thailand in November 2020.

Its EV model ORA Good Cat soon became popular among Thai consumers, and the cumulative sales have exceeded 11,000 units since it was launched in Thailand in October 2021.

Pimphattra Wichaikul, Minister of Industry, said at the ceremony that GWM was one of the first two companies to sign an agreement to support the government's policy to promote the use of EVs.

He added that the Ministry of Industry is ready to continuously support the EV industry, promoting Thailand as a base for EV and component production in the ASEAN region, and fostering sustainable development on a global scale.

Thailand has long been a major automobile production base in Southeast Asia due to its industrial chain and geographical advantages. Under the government's investment promotion, the country aims to produce EVs for 30 percent of all vehicles in the country by the year 2030.

"Since entering into the Thai market, GWM has actively helped Thailand to build an EV hub in alignment with the Thai government's goal. And the launch of ORA Good Cat from local production makes Thailand the first market of GWM globally to start local production of our EV models," said Clyde Cheng, president of GWM ASEAN.

He noted that this also shows the importance of Thailand in GWM's global strategy and will propel the country to become a pivotal hub for EV manufacturing in the region.