Kim Long Motor Partners BYD to Develop $130 Million EV Battery Plant in Vietnam

Vietnamese automobile manufacturer Kim Long Motor has announced a partnership with China’s BYD to develop a $130 million battery manufacturing facility for commercial electric vehicles in central Vietnam.

According to a company statement issued on Tuesday, Kim Long Motor will finance the construction of the plant, while BYD will provide comprehensive technical and technological support under the agreement.

Plant Capacity and Project Scope

The battery plant will be built on a 4.4-hectare site and is designed with an initial production capacity of 3 gigawatt-hours (GWh) per year. The facility will manufacture batteries primarily for commercial electric vehicles, including buses, trucks, and minibuses.

Kim Long Motor stated that operations are expected to commence soon, although no specific timeline for commissioning was disclosed.

Second Phase Expansion Plans

In the second phase of development, the facility will be expanded to 10 hectares, with production capacity doubling to 6 GWh per year. This expansion will also mark the company’s entry into battery manufacturing for electric passenger vehicles, broadening the plant’s product portfolio beyond the commercial segment.

Vietnam’s Growing EV Market

The project comes amid rapid growth in Vietnam’s electric vehicle market, which is currently led by domestic automaker VinFast. VinFast dominates the country’s EV sector and has recently expanded into commercial electric vehicles with the launch of its electric cargo van, the EC Van, aimed at supporting sustainable urban freight transport.

The partnership with BYD positions Kim Long Motor to tap into this expanding market while strengthening local battery manufacturing capabilities for Vietnam’s evolving EV ecosystem.