BYD starts construction of new factory as more EV models head to Australia

BYD is set to begin construction of a new electric vehicle factory in Thailand that’s expected to produce 150,000 right-hand-drive vehicles. 

This came at the same time as BYD delivered its 10,000th Atto 3 SUV, which is also sold here in Australia. 

This is a significant milestone for the New Energy Vehicle (NEV) brand as it seeks to build a dominant position in right-hand-drive markets like Australia, NZ, the UK and of course Thailand.

Last week, the company held the groundbreaking ceremony at the site located in WHA Rayong 36 Industrial Estate which is located 160 km southeast of Bangkok.

This comes after BYD reported that 10,000 EVs had left China for Thailand back in January. These have all been delivered to customers in Thailand now.

The plant is expected to start production in 2024 with an annual production of 150,000 EVs.

The new production plant is part of a broader push in Thailand to become an EV manufacturing hub in Asia.

Having recently launched in the UK, another right-hand-drive UK, the Atto 3 has quickly been introduced to many new markets since landing in Australia in August last year. 

BYD is working towards hitting the 10,000 Australian delivery milestone in 2023 with thousands of outstanding orders yet to be delivered and demand for affordable EVs on the rise.

It’s an interesting time for the brand as it continues to push for international expansion while signs are starting to emerge in China of a slowing domestic market. A quick comparison by Huff on Twitter highlighted the slowdown in the last 3 weeks. 

The same table also highlights other EV brands’ local insurance registrations where Tesla appears to be leading week after week as it focuses on domestic production for most of March.

The push for new markets and more products will also help alleviate some of the domestic slowdown in demand. More affordable EVs like the Atto 3 and Dolphin hatchback are doing very well in many of these new regions.

A plant in Thailand dedicated to right-hand-drive markets like Australia, NZ and the UK would help increase supply which we desperately need to get more ICE vehicles off the road. That would ultimately increase the overall EV adoption, putting an end to the ICE vehicles for hundreds of thousands of drivers in our part of the world.