BYD has formally opened its first vehicle factory in Indonesia, a 150,000-unit-a-year plant in Subang, West Java, as the Chinese EV maker expands local manufacturing across Southeast Asia.
The 126ha facility at Subang Smartpolitan Industrial Park was officially opened on Sept 3. It is BYD’s 13th production facility worldwide and currently makes the Atto 1, M6 EV and M6 DM, with Denza models also planned.
An M6 DM plug-in hybrid rolled off during the ceremony as BYD’s 100,000th locally produced vehicle in Indonesia, showing that production had started before the formal opening.
BYD Indonesia has also stopped importing completely built-up vehicles and would rely on domestic production once remaining imported stock is exhausted.
Attention now turns to Malaysia.
BYD vice-president Liu Xueliang told Bernama last week that the company would announce its next move in Malaysia within a week, amid questions over whether it would work with a local partner or set up its own manufacturing operation.
Liu said BYD would continue exploring cooperation with Malaysian partners, but declined to disclose which route the company had chosen.
BYD had previously been linked to a proposed plant in Tanjung Malim, Perak, while a possible contract-assembly arrangement with Sime Motors’ Inokom plant in Kulim has also been reported.
The coming announcement could therefore clarify how BYD intends to localise production in its other major Southeast Asian market.
