GAC Aion, the electric vehicle (EV) unit of Chinese state-owned automaker Guangzhou Automobile (GAC) Group, has announced it has started exporting its vehicles to Thailand ahead setting up a local assembly operation in the country.
The EV-maker said it will ship 100 Aion Y Plus EV models to Thailand this month, the first ever overseas shipment of vehicles by the company. It joins a growing number of Chinese brands setting up electric and hybrid vehicle assembly in Thailand, including Great Wall Motors, Hozon, BYD and SAIC Motor, as they look to challenge the dominance of the Japanese automakers in South-east Asia.
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GAC Aion said in the statement “this marks a new milestone for GAC Aion, as we export our vehicles to an overseas market for the first time. We are taking a first step in internationalising Aion’s business”.
GAC Aion said it plans to establish an ASEAN regional headquarters in Thailand by the end of the year and is also making plans to build an assembly plant in the country to supply EVs to markets across South-east Asia.
The company said its EV sales in China more than doubled to 209,000 units in the first half of 2023 and has set a full-year sales target of over 500,000 units.
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