BMW Builds Battery Assembly Factory In Thailand To Expand Electrification Ecosystem In ASEAN

Laying the first stone for a high-voltage battery factory in Rayong, Thailand. (Doc. BMW_

JAKARTA - BMW has announced the expansion of factories in Southeast Asia and laid the first stone for assembly sites in Rangyong, Thailand. This factory will later become a high-voltage Gen-5 battery assembly site for electric vehicle (EV) lines.

In addition, the company is preparing other productions to increase the local EV assembly fully and is scheduled to begin in the second half of 2025.

Milan Nedeljkovic, as BMW AG's Board Member for Production, said that the local production of the battery was the company's logical step in continuing the electrification ecosystem.

"The 'local' principle applies and supports economic development, job opportunities and knowledge transfer in Thailand and the ASEAN region," Milan said on the company's website, Tuesday, March 6.

The facility has an area of 4,000 square meters and is an important addition to Thailand's BMW Group Manufacturing. The assembly line will convert imported battery cells into modules that are integrated into high-voltage batteries.

It was also stated that the company had invested more than 1.6 billion baht or equivalent to Rp704.9 billion in this project. Most of the funds, ranging from 1.4 billion baht (approximately Rp616.7 billion) are used to buy advanced equipment.

The manufacturer has been producing high-voltage batteries in Thailand for plug-in hybrid (PHEV) cars since 2019. The Rayong plant has produced about two dozen of BMW, Mini, and BMW Motorrad models for the ASEAN market.