While uncertainty continues to swirl amidst the coronavirus outbreak, carmakers are still investing in China. Documents from authorities in Tianjin show that Toyota is planning to build a new electric vehicle factory there with its local partner FAW, according to Reuters.
Those documents from the Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-city says the two companies want to invest around 8.5 billion yuan (RM5.2 billion) in the plant, which is expected to have a manufacturing capacity of 200,000 “new energy vehicles” – China’s catch-all for hybrid, plug-in hybrid and fully-electric vehicles – a year.
Although Toyota declined to comment on the project, it did say in a statement that it regards China as one of its most important global markets, and that it is constantly considering various measures to meet the needs of growing its business in the Middle Kingdom.
Despite automobile sales dropping 8.2% in China last year – well before it took the full brunt of the COVID-19 outbreak – sales of Toyota and Lexus vehicles jumped nine percent to 1.62 million units in the world’s largest car market. Aside from the planned FAW plant, Toyota is also expanding its manufacturing capacities in Guangzhou with its other partner GAC.
Banzai !
The big question here is why Toyota never choose Malaysia?
In the 90s we were the CKD capital of Asia ie the Detroit of Asia. But because of ketuanan issues, all car companies invested in Thailand.
Now they are moving to China. Why aren’t they coming to Malaysia?
Looks like we need to work hard. They prefer China because people work hard there
Investors greatest fear is critical problem of getting ample local manpower workforce. Open a factory plant there and must applied permits paid levy to hire foreign labour to do job!
Why Toyota must consider Malaysia? Why are they even considering China. They are supposed to be a Japanese brand and their fanboys market their cars as Japanese cars but now it is going to be made in China so is Toyota now a China brand making Made in China cars? If I were a fanboy trying to sell Toyota cars I would be ashamed when people ask me that question. How to answer is that a China car or a Japanese car but then why made in China.
THESTAR: THE US State Department should downgrade Thailand in its annual report on human trafficking, rights groups said, citing the South-East Asian nation’s lack of progress in protecting fishing and garment workers.
Thailand had failed to provide sufficient evidence of increased efforts to combat severe forms of trafficking from the previous year. “Thailand continues to be a country where workers are abused and exploited,” said Esmeralda Lopez, a director at the International Labour Rights Forum
Last year, Thailand was ranked as a Tier 2 country – above the lowest ranking of Tier 3 – in the US State Department’s closely watched Trafficking in Persons report.
Another BS from the tikus. Do Malaysia have the required supply of rare earths for EV production compared to China? No, that is why even Tesla chose China.
Enough with this rubbish “why never choose us” crap. Why Toyota must choose Malaysia for everything? you want to do ah the work? you dont even know the scope of the work they want to invest in. Malaysia must move towards more intelligence generating job rather than labour intensive job la. If you must choose between two investment (cant have both due to oppurtunity cost), you rather ppl invest 10 billion to make you work hard or invest 10 billion to make you work smart?