2nd plant for SAIC Motor-CP

As a token of its long-term commitment to Thailand, Chinese-Thai joint venture SAIC Motor-CP Co yesterday announced the construction of a second assembly facility at Hemaraj Eastern Seaboard Industrial Estate 2 in Chon Buri province.

According to Chen Zhixin, president of the Chinese carmaker Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (SAIC Motor), the 700,000-square-metre facility will handle MG vehicle production processes such as body assembly, vehicle assembly and painting under one roof.

“Thailand is set to be a production hub for right-hand-drive vehicles and SAIC Motor aims to make 300,000 units a year in the very near future,” said SAIC Motor chairman Chen Hong.

SAIC Motor-CP bought 438 rai of the new land plot for an undisclosed sum from SETlisted Hemaraj Land and Development Plc last November.

The investment cost of the new plant is estimated at 30-40 billion baht.

Founded in 2012, SAIC Motor-CP is a joint venture of SAIC Motor and Thai agribusiness conglomerate Charoen Pokphand Group. The Chinese company owns 51%. The carmaker’s 9-billion-baht first factory, with total production capacity of 50,000 units, was built in Rayong’s Hemaraj Eastern Seaboard Industrial Estate and began operations in June 2014.

The company launched the 1.8-litre MG6 saloon that same month and sold 300 units of the model last year.