Thailand's Commission on the National Competitiveness Enhancement for Targeted Industries, has approved an investment by a unit of China's Sunwoda Electronic worth more than US$ 1 billion in the production of electric vehicle (EV) and energy storage system (ESS) batteries at the cell level, in a move that will strengthen the country's supply chain and support EV manufacturing for both the domestic and export markets.

Thailand Board of Investment (BOI) said in a statement on last Thursday that Sunwoda Automotive Energy Technology (Thailand) plans to build its manufacturing facilities in Thailand's Eastern Economic Corridor area.

The first factory, located in Chonburi Province, will be producing lithium-ion battery cells for EV manufacturers.

It is noted that Sunwoda's battery cell manufacturing facilities in Thailand will be its first EV-related battery cell factory in the ASEAN region.

''Today marks a milestone in the development of Thailand's EV supply chain, as having EV battery cells produced locally will significantly reinforce our status as a manufacturing hub for EVs and hybrids, and increase the country's competitiveness,'' said Narit Therdsteerasukdi, Secretary General of the BOI.

According to him, this project will also help widen the use of energy storage system (ESS) and solar energy in our country, and, through the hiring of thousands of Thai engineers and workers, contribute to knowledge transfer in an industry which is of critical importance for the future.

According to the statement, the construction of Sunwoda's first Thai factory is progressing smoothly.

The facility is expected to hire over 1,000 staff once production begins.

The entire project, which will include manufacturing as well as research and product development, will employ a significantly greater staff, including a large number of Thai engineers and researchers.

Sunwoda Automotive Energy Technology (Thailand) is a subsidiary of Sunwoda Electronic, a company headquartered in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China, which is engaged in the production of batteries for a wide range of electronic devices, mobility, and storage equipment.

In China, in 2023, Sunwoda's SEVB brand ranked first in sales of batteries for hybrid electric vehicles (HEV) and third in sales of batteries for high-end EV.

It is noted that Thailand has long been a hub in the conventional internal combustion engine (ICE) auto industry, ranking 10th in the world and number one in Southeast Asia as a manufacturer in 2023.

Since it started promoting investment in the sector's electrification, with government policies offering subsidies, tax breaks and other incentives to manufacturers and consumers, the country has attracted significant investments in the production of EV and hybrids.

Several major Chinese manufacturers of battery electric vehicles (BEV) have already started making cars in Thailand, including BYD, SAIC Motor (MG), Great Wall Motor, Hozon New Energy Automobile (Neta) and GAC Aion.

Chongqing Changan Automobile is scheduled to open its Thai factory in the coming weeks, while Chery Automobile is currently building its local manufacturing facility.

The Thai EV ecosystem also includes a fast-growing network of charging stations, the local manufacturing of chargers and significant car parts, and the assembly of battery packs and modules from imported cells.

In 2024, total applications for investment promotion in Thailand soared 35% in value to THB 1.14 trillion (US$ 33.92 billion), its highest level since 2014, led by large foreign direct investment (FDI) projects in data centres, cloud services, as well as semiconductor and advanced electronics manufacturing.

The automotive and parts sector ranked third in terms of the value of applications with 309 projects, worth a combined value of THB 102.4 billion.