China’s electric vehicle (EV) leader, BYD, is continuing its aggressive international expansion, with plans to build a new manufacturing plant in Cambodia. The facility will be strategically located alongside newly opened plants from Ford and Toyota, further solidifying Southeast Asia as a critical region for EV production.
BYD’s remarkable growth shows no signs of slowing down. In October, the company surpassed a milestone by selling over 500,000 new energy vehicles (NEVs) in a single month, marking its fifth consecutive record-setting sales month. This achievement highlights BYD’s growing dominance in the EV market, as it continues to look beyond China’s increasingly competitive domestic market for growth opportunities.
The Cambodian plant is part of BYD’s strategy to establish a stronger presence in Southeast Asia, a region that has become a hub for electric vehicle manufacturing. Prime Minister Hun Manet announced this week that the Council for the Development of Cambodia (CDC) is in the final stages of negotiations with BYD to set up the facility. The plant will follow in the footsteps of Toyota’s and Ford’s recently opened assembly plants in Cambodia.
“We may be aware that BYD is a giant Chinese company specializing in EV production, comparable to Tesla, the largest EV manufacturer in the United States,” Prime Minister Hun Manet said at an event discussing the project.
The Cambodian government sees the influx of automotive investments as a significant economic opportunity, particularly as geopolitical tensions drive companies to diversify their operations. The country aims to boost automotive and electronics exports to over $2 billion while creating more than 22,000 new jobs, further positioning Cambodia as a growing EV manufacturing hub.
Industry experts also view the move as beneficial for Cambodia’s workforce. “An EV manufacturing plant will provide an excellent opportunity to reskill or upskill the Cambodian workforce for new higher-paying jobs,” said Natharoun Ngo Son, Country Director of EnergyLab. EnergyLab plans to launch a skills development program early next year to prepare the workforce for the transition to EV production.
BYD’s Cambodia plant follows the recent launch of its first electric pickup, the Shark PHEV (BYD Shark 6), in the country. Beyond Southeast Asia, BYD is also planning to open EV plants in other markets including Mexico, Brazil, Pakistan, Hungary, and Turkey, as it competes globally with automakers like Ford and Toyota.
Source: Khmer Times
