The new Great Wall Motor (GWM) factory in Rayong, Thailand, officially went into production on June 9, becoming the company's second full-production manufacturing facility outside of China.
The All New HAVAL H6 Hybrid SUV was the first model to roll off the factory floor, equipped with a 12.3-inch screen and voice-activated controls. The vehicle also boasts level 2, or partial autonomous driving.
Li Guangyu, GWM's vice president of production explained that the factory's smart technologies only require 70 employees on the manufacturing line, however, that team will be capable of producing 200 cars per day, adding, "A car has more than 6,000 solder joints, 84% of which are done by robots."
Likewise, the Rayong factory will be able to deliver a range of vehicles from fully electric to gas-powered. According to Li, "The welding workshop adopts an advanced digital simulation system to realize the co-production of three new energy power models of hybrid electric vehicles, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles and pure electric vehicles as well as traditional fuel-powered vehicles."
Thailand's Industry Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit, said that the facility has created more than 1,000 local jobs, with plans to add another 2,500 in the future. Moreover, it will increase local investment, assist the economic development of Thailand and the ASEAN region, and bolster the technology of Thailand's automotive industry.
Similarly, Wang Liping, Minister Counselor for Economic and Commercial Affairs of the Chinese Embassy in Thailand said, "Making Thailand as an ASEAN production base by Chinese car companies can not only promote the economic development of Thailand but also promote the deep integration and transformation and upgrading of the Chinese and Thai industries," calling the manufacturing plant a "concrete manifestation of synergy between the Belt and Road Initiative and the Thailand 4.0 strategy."