Chinese electric automaker Great Wall Motor (GWM) has officially initiated electric vehicle production at the former Holden Colorado ute factory in Thailand. According to Drive, American legacy automaker General Motors was the previous owner of the local factory.
Background
In hindsight, Holden’s parent company General Motors initially launched the Rayong factory in 2003. From 2008 to 2020, the factory produced the Holden Colorado ute, Holden Trailblazer (or Colorado 7) SUV, and several Chevrolet-badged vehicles.
However, GM decided to level right-hand-drive markets, pushing it to abandon Holden. In effect, the American automaker sold the Rayong factory to GWM.
The purchase agreement included the factory’s vehicle assembly line and an engine and transmission production hub.
In 2021, GWM officially started producing its H6 Hybrid SUVs in the former Holden factory in 2021.
GWM also retooled the factory’s production lines to support electric car manufacturing, which now has an annual capacity target of 120,000 units.
GWM starts producing Ora in Thailand
GWM proudly reported the successful production of the first GWM Ora Good Cat in the Rayong factory last week, marking a significant milestone of becoming the first EV to undergo mass production outside China.
For context, the electric hatchback is popular in the Australian market as the “GWM Ora.” In fact, it is currently the most affordable EV in the country due to early 2024 discounts.
However, the automaker has yet to clarify if it plans to change its current sourcing strategy for the GWM Ora Good Cat from China to Thailand.
This significant development advances GWM’s position as the first Chinese automaker to mass-produce electric cars beyond China.
Strategic location
The Rayong factory is strategically located near the GWM’s battery partner S-Volt.
The global high-tech firm officially opened a new factory at the end of 2023 in Si Racha, Rayong. It has two battery manufacturing lines, including one for hybrid vehicle modules and one for plug-in hybrid and all-electric vehicle battery packs.
Apart from S-Volt’s factory, the coastal Rayong province is home to multiple car and component factories with a solid parts supply chain for automakers there.
GWM’s move to retool the former Holden factory rather than erect an all-new facility is indeed a good strategy as it enables the automaker to reduce expenses. It can also aid the Chinese automaker to stay competitive in the rapidly growing electric vehicle market with increased production capacity.
