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Chinese EV maker Aion plans Indonesia plant, vying against rivals like BYD for slice of promising Southeast Asia market
- Guangzhou-based Aion will partner with Indomobil Group, a carmaker based in Jakarta, to localise its production and supply chain
- The third bestselling EV brand in mainland China after only BYD and Tesla plans to start production in Thailand this summer
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Daniel Renin Shanghai
Aion, an electric vehicle (EV) unit of state-owned Chinese company GAC Group, plans to build its second Southeast Asia plant in Indonesia, upping its stake in the potentially vast market against domestic rivals like BYD.
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Guangzhou-based Aion will partner with Indomobil Group, a carmaker based in Jakarta, to localise its production and supply chain, offering Indonesian consumers a variety of intelligent new-energy vehicles, it said in a statement on Tuesday.
The third bestselling EV brand in mainland China after only BYD and Tesla, Aion did not provide details about the factory, such as investment size or capacity, but said the partnership with Indomobil would enable it to get involved in the finance, ride-hailing and distribution businesses in the local market.
“The tie-up with Indomobil means our dual assembly plan for the Southeast Asian market is finalised,” Aion said in the statement. “We will bring more options for the local EV market.”
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Chinese EV maker BYD launches electric cars in Indonesia
Chinese EV maker BYD launches electric cars in Indonesia
The company’s first factory in Southeast Asia is expected to start operations in Thailand this summer when the first phase of construction is complete. It aims to have an annual capacity of 50,000 units after a second-phase expansion. Aion, founded in 2017 by GAC Group, the Chinese partner of Toyota and Honda, has yet to announce when construction on that phase will begin.
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A clutch of Chinese EV assemblers have flocked to Southeast Asia to either build their own plants or sell their Chinese-made vehicles amid increasing demand for battery-powered cars.
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