BYD and French auto parts group Forvia have inaugurated a seat assembly plant in Thailand to support local production. The seat plant, which began operations in July 2024, will manufacture automotive seats for BYD’s Thailand facility, with an estimated annual capacity of 180,000 units, as stated by the Chinese new energy vehicle (NEV) manufacturer.
This Thai seat plant represents the first overseas factory built jointly by BYD and Forvia, who already operate seven plants together in China. Forvia, formerly known as Faurecia and founded in 1998, completed the acquisition of another parts supplier, Hella, in February 2022, forming the new entity Forvia.
Ranked as the world’s seventh-largest automotive technology supplier, Forvia partnered with BYD in 2017, establishing Shenzhen Faurecia Automotive Parts Co Ltd, which is majority-owned by Forvia. This partnership includes a research and development center in Shenzhen, the location of BYD’s global headquarters.
On July 24, 2023, Forvia announced plans to build a new seat assembly plant with BYD in Rayong province, Thailand. Thailand is expected to serve as Forvia’s export hub in the Asia-Pacific region, contributing significantly to future growth.
BYD held a ceremony for its Thai plant on March 10, 2023. This facility, with an annual capacity of 150,000 vehicles, is the first overseas passenger car plant wholly owned by BYD. The BYD Thailand plant officially opened on July 4, 2024, marking the production of BYD’s 8 millionth NEV.
(Source: CnEVPost)
