After Malaysia, Honda to consider investing into an EV battery plant in Thailand
Hans · Nov 22, 2021 04:43 PM
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Honda Automobile (Thailand) is considering to invest into an EV battery assembly plant in Thailand to reduce imports from Japan as the company ramps up its range of electrified (xEV) vehicles.
Noriyuki Takakura, president and chief executive of Honda Automobile (Thailand), told the Bangkok Post, "We are aware the global car market is moving towards EVs, so we will continue to invest in technologies in order to catch the trend," but did not elaborate further on the scale of the investment considered or the proposed timeline.
Honda aims to have 100 percent of its global sales contributed by electrified vehicles (including hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, FCEVs) by 2040.
However he added that demand battery electric vehicles (BEVs) in Thailand is still in its early stages and the immediate priority is to focus on hybrids (HEVs).
"Honda will increase the number of HEVs to become a market leader," said Takakura.
Last week, Honda launched the all-new 2022 Honda HR-V in Thailand, available exclusively only as a hybrid, powered by a 1.5-litre, two-motor i-MMD drivetrain.
Honda Motor also selected Thailand to host the global debut of the HR-V RS variant, which adds smoked LED taillights, a front chrome grille, 18-inch alloy wheels, and a panoramic glass roof.
Currently, Honda already operates a small hybrid battery assembly plant in Malaysia, located within Honda Malaysia's vehicle assembly plant in Pegoh. It's the first of its kind in Malaysia. The completed 'Intelligent Power Unit' goes into the Honda City RS e:HEV.
Other manufacturers with an xEV battery manufacturing plant in Thailand are Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Toyota.
The Toyota battery plant also doubles as a battery recycling plant. It accepts not just batteries from Toyota and Lexus hybrid vehicles sold in Thailand, but also batteries from other devices and manufacturers.
The plant has a capacity to recycle 20,000 xEV batteries a year. Battery modules that can be reused will be rebuilt into a new battery, sold at one-third the price of a new one, to be used as energy storage units in solar farms, commercial buildings and factories.
Low efficiency modules will be shipped back to Japan for further processing, to be made into new batteries.
Over 15 years of experience in automotive, from product planning, to market research, to print and digital media. Garages a 6-cylinder manual RWD but buses to work.
