Inpow opens first battery pack plant outside China, in Thailand

GAC's battery unit has started building packs in Chonburi, its first overseas factory, aimed at Thai and wider ASEAN EV deliveries.

Inpow Battery, the battery subsidiary of GAC Group, has begun production at a plant in Chonburi province, Thailand. A ceremony on October 29, 2026 marked the first power battery pack coming off the line. It is GAC's first overseas in-house pack plant and Inpow's first factory outside China. Officials from Thailand's Energy Ministry and EGAT, the state utility, attended alongside GAC executives.

The plant is meant to support GAC's new energy vehicle deliveries in Thailand and other ASEAN markets. Thailand is described as the region's largest automotive manufacturing hub. Inpow says it has delivered more than 300,000 packs, with the 300,000th built on October 15. It says vehicles running its batteries have covered over 10 billion km combined. Its cells are used in the Aion i60, N60 and UT, and the 2027 Aion i60 with Inpow batteries is rated at 700 km of range. Inpow also says it will work with EGAT and others on vehicles, energy storage and energy equipment.

Why it matters: the battery is the costliest part of an EV, and building packs near the buyer can trim shipping and import costs. Local assembly can also help a maker meet Thailand's push for zero-emission vehicles to reach 30% of output by 2030. That is the '30@30' target, which Inpow says means over 700,000 electric passenger vehicles. Cheaper, locally built packs would make EVs more available across Southeast Asia. A pack line that also serves storage could widen the effect to grid power.

Caveats: the delivery, mileage and demand figures come from Inpow itself. The plant's capacity and investment were not disclosed. The 10.9 billion yuan ($1.62 billion) figure is Inpow's total investment, not the Thai site's. No numbers were given for import or tariff savings, so the cost benefit is still unproven. Watch for output capacity and vehicle prices.

Source: CnEVPost