China's BYD opens its first electric vehicle (EV) factory in Southeast Asia, a fast-growing regional EV market, in Rayong, Thailand, July 4, 2024. China's BYD opened an electric vehicle plant in Thailand on Thursday, the automaker's first factory in Southeast Asia, a fast-growing regional EV market where it has become the dominant player. "Thailand has a clear EV vision and is entering a new era of auto manufacturing," BYD CEO and President Wang Chuanfu said at the opening ceremony. The BYD plant is part of a wave of investment worth more than $1.44 billion from Chinese EV makers who are setting up factories in Thailand, helped by government subsidies and tax incentives. Other EV rivals in the local market include Great Wall Motor, which also has a production facility in Thailand, and U.S. automaker Tesla.

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Persons: China's BYD, Wang Chuanfu, Narit Therdsteerasukdi, Liu Xueliang, Tesla Organizations: EV, HK, Toyota Motor, Honda Motor Co, Isuzu Motors, ASEAN, Thailand's, of Investment, European, BYD's, BYD's Asia Pacific, BYD, U.S Locations: Southeast Asia, Rayong, Thailand, China, Hong Kong, BYD, Hungary, BYD's China, BYD's Asia