SAIC-GM-Wuling Automobile Company Ltd, a joint venture between China’s SAIC Motor, General Motors and Guangxi Auto, officially launched assembly of electric vehicle (EV) battery packs in Indonesia, as part of the company’s localization strategy in the region.

The Chinese automaker’s local subsidiary, PT SGMW Motor Indonesia (Wuling), is Indonesia’s largest producer of battery electric vehicles (BEVs), with output of 13,600 units in the first eleven months of 2024, including models such as the Air, Cloud and Binguo – fitted with battery packs imported from China.

At the end of last month, Wuling held an inauguration ceremony for the new IDR87bn (US$5.5m) battery assembly plant, which is located within its supplier park next to its vehicle assembly plant in Cikarang, West Java. The facility now assembles the company “Magic” brand of EV batteries, which the automaker says underscores its “long-term commitment to supporting the development of the electric vehicle industry and eco-system in Indonesia.”

Andrin Adhitama, the battery plant’s operations manager, claimed that the facility features the latest automated systems to ensure quality and production efficiency, adding that the “locally-made batteries will be installed in our latest EV models, the Cloud EV and Binguo EV.”