Tesla said to be in talks with Thailand for EV, battery production facility after site survey last year – report

Tesla said to be in talks with Thailand for EV, battery production facility after site survey last year – report

It’s no secret that Indonesia and Thailand have their eyes on being Tesla’s pick for a Gigafactory location in South East Asia, with both countries having actively engaged with the EV manufacturer about that possibility in recent times, and not being coy about it.

The jockeying continues, with Thailand now saying that the carmaker is in talks with government for a potential production facility in the country, after having conducted a site survey late last year, Reuters reports.

This was revealed by Supakorn Congsomjit, an official from the prime minister’s office, who said that the Thai government has offered Tesla 100% green energy to run the facility, which could potentially assemble EVs or batteries.

Tesla said to be in talks with Thailand for EV, battery production facility after site survey last year – report

The news report doesn’t indicate anything beyond that, so it remains to be seen if anything actually develops beyond talk. Thailand has of course been offering incentives to electric vehicle manufacturers and EV battery producers as well as tax cuts to local EV buyers in order to bolster its position as a regional automotive hub. While it already has the likes of Mercedes-Benz and BMW assembling batteries in the country, getting Tesla in would be a huge feather in its cap.

The same holds true for Indonesia, which has been aggressively pursuing the carmaker, tempting it with its rich nickel reserves. Talks have been going on for a few years now, although it was reported that Indonesia’s discussions with Tesla to build a factory in the archipelago had fallen through back in March 2022, before resurfacing again shortly after, continuing to this day.

Will it happen for either Thailand or Indonesia? Until an official announcement from Tesla is made on any manufacturing investment in the region, it all remains conjecture, but you can expect the huffing and puffing – and overtures to the carmaker – to continue. To wit, the news late last year indicating that the company had chosen India for its next Gigafactory location, with an announcement on this due in January, which has of course come and gone rather silently.

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Anthony Lim

Anthony Lim believes that nothing is better than a good smoke and a car with character, with good handling aspects being top of the prize heap. Having spent more than a decade and a half with an English tabloid daily never being able to grasp the meaning of brevity or being succinct, he wags his tail furiously at the idea of waffling - in greater detail - about cars and all their intrinsic peculiarities here.

 

Comments

  • It’s no surprise why Thailand is chosen with fewer work downtime and no unreasonable boycott culture.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 27 Thumb down 5
    • Dah Menang Semua on Mar 05, 2024 at 12:23 pm

      We prefer Chinese brands
      China voice for Palestine
      Malaysia also China proxy

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 7
      • Bak kut teh makanan warisan on Mar 05, 2024 at 3:14 pm

        What happened to balik tiongkok? Now friend friend already la?

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 16 Thumb down 3
        • Dah Menang Semua on Mar 05, 2024 at 5:41 pm

          kita suka barang murah China
          kita xnak org rebut-tanah kita

          Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 1
        • Ajibkor on Mar 05, 2024 at 6:53 pm

          I heard outside ppl alrdy rejecting the incompetent Pas PN.

          Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 1
        • History Bender on Mar 06, 2024 at 9:42 am

          Ironically now the nons have the Gomen, they are telling the majority to balik kampung tanam sayur. They complain for the past 60 years now they turn around doing the same thing when they have power.
          Moral of the story, never give power away.

          Like or Dislike: Thumb up 5 Thumb down 0
    • Celup King on Mar 05, 2024 at 12:38 pm

      Tahniah Madani! They successfully chased away EV battery production to Indonesia and EV car making to Thailand! Now they have closed Lynas at last EV makers have no more reasons to come here anymore.
      Well done PMX and those who voted them!

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 18 Thumb down 9
      • Don’t bother lah. Just focus on the syurga promised to you.

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 10 Thumb down 12
        • Ex PH Supporter on Mar 05, 2024 at 6:39 pm

          A promise of heaven is still better than hell on Madani Malaysia.

          Like or Dislike: Thumb up 6 Thumb down 1
          • I know these heaven people are dumb but didn’t know they are this dumb.

            Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 2
          • Kantoi But Still Wanna Defend on Mar 07, 2024 at 10:37 am

            You must be too dumb to loving hell.

            Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 0
      • ingky on Mar 05, 2024 at 9:38 pm

        eh Tesla is a US car maker, staunch supporter of Israel..so how ah?

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 0
    • Kongres Ekonomi Budakmalas 2024 on Mar 05, 2024 at 3:45 pm

      Kami memang suka boikot. Tak suka boleh balik (insert country of origin)

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 18 Thumb down 5
  • He Long Must on Mar 05, 2024 at 11:52 am

    Meanwhile, the madanon gomen is so preoccupied fighting the walaun opposition and totally ignoring FDIs. I’m taking my money to the land of smiles

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 20 Thumb down 4
  • PMkoyak on Mar 05, 2024 at 1:41 pm

    Tahniah papa

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 5 Thumb down 0
  • ROTI CANAI on Mar 05, 2024 at 2:45 pm

    jokowi marah

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 4 Thumb down 0
  • Matti on Mar 05, 2024 at 3:30 pm

    Good. Our local CKD quality memang koyak. Would take a Thai assembled model anyday, for any brand. We Malaysians assemble cars the same way we lay our roads. Slipshod.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 5 Thumb down 2
  • Ben Yap on Mar 05, 2024 at 5:01 pm

    So what investment can Palestine bring to Malaysia? hahahaha….

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 21 Thumb down 10
    • seitha on Mar 06, 2024 at 6:44 am

      Investments like
      1. Building tunnels,
      2. Smuggling weapons and ammunition
      3. Smuggling children for eipstein island adrenochrome harvesting

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 10 Thumb down 0
  • Nurul Izzah on Mar 05, 2024 at 7:18 pm

    Anwar menang Thailand senang

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 0
  • boikot kulture on Mar 05, 2024 at 7:49 pm

    meleis waiting for foreign investments from palestine state

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 5 Thumb down 2
    • Madani on Mar 07, 2024 at 3:16 pm

      Ironically now the nons have the Gomen, they are telling the majority to balik kampung tanam sayur. They complain for the past 60 years now they turn around doing the same thing when they have power.
      Moral of the story, never give power away.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • Bel Jin on Mar 06, 2024 at 5:20 pm

    Yes, Tesla need to worry when the tax-free incentives for EV are over beyond 2025. How much you think a new model 3 would retail in Malaysia CBU from shanghai? Easily 450k.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 0
 

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