Mercedes-Benz has begun local production of plug-in hybrid-batteries in Thailand with the opening of its new battery plant, which is located at the company’s vehicle manufacturing plant in Samut Prakan.
The new facility, which sits on a 50,000 square metre site and has a 100-strong workforce, was announced last year when the automaker – together with local partners Thonburi Automotive Assembly Plant (TAAP) and Thonburi Energy Storage Systems (TESM) – said it was investing over 100 million euros (RM483 million) in expanding production operations in the country.
Output will serve localised needs in the production of the automaker’s plug-in hybrids, of which the C- and E-Class versions are in particular demand, but the plant will be able to make batteries for full electric vehicles in the future, according to a previous report. While no mention of production capacity was made, a figure of 5,000 units was indicated previously, and this can easily be doubled according to demand.
The new facility is the latest addition to the company’s global battery production network, which already has plants running in Kamenz, Germany, with Beijing also going online this year. With new plants in the United States, Poland and Germany set to begin operations at the beginning of the next decade, the network will eventually consist of nine factories at seven locations on three continents.
Looking to sell your car? Sell it with Carro.
Benzs
on 
Mohd Shah Ibrahim
on 
Ismail Bahrain
on 
vape
on 
Rahman Zaidi
on 
Ahmadjr
on 
Cynic
on 
Troll Hunter
on 
Darren Kong
on 
Avenger
on 
Steven Matthias
on 
Segaran Marimuthu
on 
Raja
on 
Lao Yee
on 
Andrew Ng
on 
4bini
on 
Stanley Sinnapa
on 
Civic Turbo 2018
on 
Wiki
on 
Gary
on 
Ghani
on 
C.P. MOHAN
on 
Celup King
on 
Mari
on 
Adamos
on 
gt4
on 
M.K
on 
Rosman
on 
Alan
on 
Somada
on 
lkh
on 
Logical Deduction
on 
Calvin
on 
Frozen
on 
vivizurianti
on 
Abang
on 
Samad Abd Rahman
on 
Sanjay
on 
Steven Matthias
on 
P.Alyanna
on 
Buloh
on 
AI-generated Summary ✨
Comments highlight Malaysia’s challenges in attracting automotive investments, citing bureaucratic red tape, corruption, and lack of strong policies as deterrents compared to Thailand, which is seen as more investment-friendly with better infrastructure and consistent policies. Many believe Thai workers are more hardworking and productive than Malaysians, contributing to Thailand's attractiveness. There’s also criticism of local management, lack of expertise, and government interference negatively impacting industry growth. Some comments express regret over Malaysia's policies, such as affirmative action, which hinder competitiveness. Several commenters note that international automakers like BMW, Tesla, and Mercedes prefer Thailand for battery and car production due to political stability, lower costs, and clearer regulations. Overall, there’s a pervasive sentiment that Malaysia is falling behind other Asian countries in automotive industry development.