Suzuki to shut down auto plant in Thailand
Japan’s automaker Suzuki Motor has announced it will close a subsidiary's auto plant in Thailand by the end of 2025 to focus on global production sites with more promising markets.
The company plans to adjust its business strategy by importing vehicles from production lines in ASEAN countries, Japan, and India.
Suzuki's eVX electric vehicle at the Japan Mobility Show in Tokyo lin October 2023. Photo courtesy of Reuters.
Suzuki added that in order to support the government’s policy on carbon neutrality, the company would introduce EVs and hybrid cars in Thailand in the future.
The plant to be shut down is in Rayong province, southeast of Bangkok which is run by local subsidiary Suzuki Motor Thailand and has an annual production capacity of 60,000 units. It employs approximately 800 people.
The announcement comes at a time when Japanese automakers are facing intense competition from Chinese rivals in Thailand as well as pressure to produce more electric and hybrid vehicles.
Suzuki aims to have a lineup of six EV models by 2030-2031. It plans to launch its first EV in India by next year, which it intends to export to Japan as well as Europe.
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