Chinese automaker, Great Wall Motor (GWM) will be opening their Rayong, Thailand factory on 9-June 2021, The Bangkok Post reports.
Haval H6
The facility - formerly a General Motors' plant which made the Chevrolet Sonic, Colorado, and Trailblazer - will now be used to produce the Haval H6 SUV and GWM Pao pick-up truck.
GWM said that the Rayong factory will have a production capacity of 80,000 units yearly, serving as the production base for right-hand drive vehicles in this region.
GWM's sprawling factory
The production will be 60% for the Thai market, while the remaining 40% will be for exports.
Meanwhile, the company did not reveal whether the plant will produce the Ora line-up of battery-electric vehicles (BEVs), although it's understood that the company has announced that BEVs will be manufactured in a Thai plant within 2023.
This is also in-line with the country's National New Generation Vehicle Committee's goals of having 50% of vehicles assembled in Thailand being EVs by 2030.
The Ora R1
Thus far, GWM has invested THB 22 billion for factory upgrades, EV production, and a renewable energy business.
Closer to home, every car mentioned in this article have been spotted in Malaysia. Among them, the H6 stands a very good chance to land on our shores, considering GWM's PR team in Thailand has confirmed that the model will be introduced here.
If and when that happens, the Malaysian-spec cars will very likely be imported from Thailand.
With humble beginnings collecting diecast models and spending hours virtually tuning dream cars on the computer, his love of ...
With humble beginnings collecting diecast models and spending hours virtually tuning dream cars on the computer, his love of cars has delightfully transformed into a career. Sanjay enjoys how the same passion for cars transcends boundaries and brings people together.
10