Hue (VNA) - Kim Long Motor Hue JSC (Kim Long Motor) on January 27 signed a strategic partnership with BYD Battery, a global leader in batteries and new energy vehicles, and kicked off construction of a BYD battery manufacturing plant in its Hue city complex.
Under the agreement, Kim Long Motor will build a new energy battery plant in Vietnam, with full technological support from BYD. The collaboration lays a foundation for Kim Long Motor to gradually master battery production—a key factor determining the performance, safety, and competitiveness of its electric vehicles.
Partnering with BYD also allows the Vietnamese firm to adopt advanced technology standards and enhance its design, manufacturing, and quality management capabilities, aligning with its long-term development orientation.
The BYD battery manufacturing plant will be built at Kim Long Motor Hue’s automotive production and assembly industrial park with a total two-phase investment of 130 million USD.
In the first phase, the plant will be built on a 4.4-ha roofed site and is set to become one of the leading electric vehicle (EV) battery factories in Asia, with a production capacity of 3 GWh per year. Once operational, it will play a crucial role in boosting Kim Long Motor’s production capacity and ensuring a stable battery supply.
The project will expand in its second phase to a 10-ha roofed facility producing batteries for passenger vehicles, bringing its combined capacity to 6 GWh per year. The BYD battery plant is expected to help Kim Long Motor achieve over 80% localisation by the second quarter of 2026 and gradually establish a regional-scale EV and battery production hub.
The plant will produce batteries for trucks, buses, minivans, and minibuses, meeting the growing demand in Vietnam and targeting export markets.
Addressing the signing ceremony, Dao Viet Anh, CEO of Kim Long Motor, said the company sees EV development as a long-term strategy linked to the national industry’s autonomy, noting that the strategic partnership with BYD and the investment in the BYD battery plant reflect its strong commitment to mastering core technologies rather than simply assembling or processing.
Developing a green industry is not only a corporate social responsibility but also a sustainable competitive advantage in the era of the green economy, he went on.
Phan Quy Phuong, Vice Chairman of the Hue People’s Committee, highlighted the project’s pioneering nature, noting it aligns with the city’s strategy to attract investment for clean, green, and sustainable industrial development. He assured full support to help the project be completed on schedule and operate efficiently, contributing to local socio-economic development./.
