Thai engineering company Kwaithong Motor is investing THB5bn (US$143m) in an electric vehicle (EV) assembly plant in the country.

The company, which predominantly makes agricultural engines, will initially assemble electric buses from semi-knocked down (SKD) kits but aims to eventually assemble other types of electric vehicles for sale across south east Asia.

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The announcement comes just months after the Bangkok Mass Transit Authority announced plans to roll out an electric vehicle recharging network ahead of its planned switch to electric buses next year. 

The Kwaithong brand buses will use chassis from Volkswagen Group’s MAN and lithium-titanium batteries from Hong Kong-listed Hybrid Kinetic Group. 

Construction of the plant is scheduled to start later this year with production slated to begin in mid-2016 at a rate of 2,000 units a year.

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