Vietnam's Vinfast EVs on their way to Malaysia, set to be imported from carmaker's upcoming Indonesian plant
Sanjay · Jan 8, 2024 09:44 AM
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VF e34
Vietnam's VinFast is set to make a bold entrance in the right-hand drive (RHD) car market by establishing a manufacturing plant in Bekasi, West Java, Indonesia, reports Otobisnis.
Set to cover 200 hectares, the VinFast facility in Indonesia aims to serve as a production hub for right-hand drive vehicles destined for the ASEAN region (namely Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia), as well as as Australia. The groundbreaking ceremony is slated for the first quarter of 2024, with operations anticipated to commence in 2025.
VF e34
This is following news last year that the Vietnamese carmaker is set to invest IDR 18.6 trillion (~RM 5.6 billion) in Indonesia "in the long term", as seen in their filings with the United States' Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
Planned production capacity for the Indonesian plant is set at 30,000 to 50,000 units annually, according to same document.
Surachman Nugroho, Sales and Network Director of VinFast Indonesia, shared with journalists in Jakarta on 5-January, "The VinFast factory will be strategically located in Bekasi, West Java, positioning itself as a pivotal production center for right-hand drive markets, including Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, and Australia."
Beyond assembling electric car models, the Bekasi facility will also manufacture electric bike batteries, creating a comprehensive ecosystem. Nugroho emphasised, "We are committed to establishing a holistic ecosystem within this factory."
For its inaugural year in the archipelago though, VinFast plans to import fully assembled cars (CBU) from its home country, Vietnam. Its first models in the country are planned to be the VF e34 and VF 5, with the VF 6 and VF 7 to follow.
The brand's introduction to the Indonesian market is scheduled to take place at the Indonesia International Motor Show (IIMS) 2024 in February.
At the upcoming Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2024, VinFast plans to unveil a lineup of newer models, including a small battery-electric SUV named VinFast VF 3 and an electric bike named DrgnFly.
With humble beginnings collecting diecast models and spending hours virtually tuning dream cars on the computer, his love of cars has delightfully transformed into a career. Sanjay enjoys how the same passion for cars transcends boundaries and brings people together.
