Following BYD’s official announcement of the Chinese EV giant’s arrival in Indonesia, a minister in the archipelago’s government confirms the company plans to set up a plant there.

In a video message, Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs, Airlangga Hartarto revealed that BYD plans to invest USD 1.3 billion (RM 6.14 bil) to build a manufacturing plant in Indonesia with a capacity of 150,000 units.

“I appreciate BYD’s commitment to launching battery electric vehicles (BEVs) in the country,” he acknowledged. “I hope this can strengthen the era of EVs for an environmentally friendly ecosystem.”

BYD previewed 3 models to the media, the BYD Dolphin, BYD Atto 3, and BYD Seal. Prices are expected to be announced next month though bookings are open. BYD will also be organizing a public preview roadshow at a few malls around the capital, Jakarta.

Also read: BYD makes Indonesian debut with 3 models - Seal, Atto 3, Dolphin

Still, it is uncertain whether this Indonesian plant will be serving only for the domestic market or to also serve as an export hub for the region. However, Indonesia isn’t the only market where BYD is planning to set up a manufacturing plant.

In March 2023, BYD held a groundbreaking ceremony for its newest plant in Rayong, Thailand. The plant will cover an area of nearly 960,000 square metres and is expected to start production this year with an annual capacity of about 150,000 vehicles.

Also read: RM 378 mil to be invested in BYD Thailand's local assembly (CKD) plant

BYD has become a success in Thailand as it is the Kingdom’s best-selling EV brand in 2023 with more than 30,000 units sold. All 3 BYD models offered occupy the top 10 best-selling EVs in the country with the Atto 3 leading in sales with 19,214 units.

With BYD interested in setting up plants in the two largest automotive markets in Southeast Asia, might the third largest in ASEAN follow suit? Malaysia saw a significant rise in EV sales in 2023 with a remarkable 386% increase from 2,631 units in 2022 to 10,159 units a year later.

Also read: MAA: 38,214 xEVs sold in 2023, highest yet for Malaysia; 10,159 BEVs, 28,055 hybrids

Just like its neighbours, the BYD models are fully imported (CBU) from China but currently, there are no official plans to set up a plant or collaborate with local partners to assemble (CKD) BYD vehicles in Malaysia. There were plans for CKD production of BYD commercial vehicles but no updates have been reported since.

Also read: BYD Malaysia is mulling CKD EVs, but it may not be the models you are thinking

BYD’s Malaysian distributor, Sime Darby Beyond Auto, currently offers the Dolphin and Atto 3. It has opened order books for a third model, the BYD Seal which is the Chinese EV giant’s rival to the Tesla Model 3. Prices for the Dolphin and Atto 3 are as follows:

• BYD Dolphin
  • Dynamic Standard - RM 99,900
  • Premium Extended - RM 124,900
• BYD Atto 3
  • Standard - RM 149,800
  • Extended - RM 167,800

Also read: Order books to open for BYD Seal in 3 days time; prices expected mid-Feb 2024