Kim Long Motor signed with BYD Battery electric vehicle battery
Kim Long Motor signed a strategic cooperation agreement with BYD Battery and simultaneously commenced construction of an electric vehicle battery manufacturing plant in Thua Thien Hue Province in Vietnam.
The agreement establishes cooperation between a Vietnamese enterprise and BYD Battery for the transfer of battery-related technologies. The battery manufacturing project involves a total investment of up to USD130 million and will be implemented in two phases at the Kim Long Motor Hue Industrial Park.
In the first phase, the facility will be developed on an area of 4.4 hectares and is expected to have an annual production capacity of 3 GWh.
Production will focus on batteries for commercial vehicles, including trucks, buses, and minivans.
In the second phase, the project will expand by an additional 10 hectares to double production capacity and begin the research and manufacture of batteries for passenger cars, with an emphasis on exports and the development of a manufacturing value chain.
As part of the cooperation, Kim Long Motor is developing a 34-seat electric sleeper bus.
Using battery technology supplied by BYD, the vehicle is expected to be introduced in Vietnam and other Southeast Asian markets.
The vehicle will be produced in Vietnam and marketed under a “Made in Vietnam” designation.
According to Mr Dao Viet Anh, Chief Executive Officer of Kim Long Motor, the partnership and investment in the battery manufacturing facility are part of a long-term plan to develop internal technological capabilities.
The project is expected to increase localisation levels, with the localisation rate projected to exceed 80% by the second quarter of 2026.
Once operations stabilise, the production complex is expected to supply the domestic market and support battery and electric vehicle manufacturing activities linked to regional and international supply chains.
