Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (MMC) is calling for the government to help find battery makers to supply parts or to form a joint venture with for the Japanese car maker's battery electric vehicles (BEVs).
Kobsak Pootrakool, deputy secretary-general to the prime minister, said MMC chairman Osamu Masuko told Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak yesterday that the company remains committed to investment in Thailand, making EVs to supply the world market.
Mitsubishi also asked the government to help seek global battery makers to supply parts for its BEV project or to forge a joint venture, Mr Kobsak said.
Mitsubishi has three factories in Laem Chabang with a total production capacity of 424,000 cars a year and 7,000 employees.
Two plants produce pickups (Triton) and pickup passenger vehicles (Pajero Sport). The third makes eco-cars (Mirage and Attrage).
Mitsubishi started operations in Thailand in 1961. In 1988, it was the first to export Thai-built vehicles, shipping the Lancer Champ to Canada.
In the first half of 2019, Mitsubishi's exports from Thailand were the highest at 151,000 cars, up 9% year-on-year, surpassing Toyota, which fell to the second spot.
The company said on Wednesday that it would spend ¥25 billion (7.08 billion baht) to upgrade its car production efficiency in Thailand, aiming to maintain the Laem Chabang facility as Mitsubishi's largest export hub outside its home country.
Of the total budget, ¥12 billion is allocated to improve the car paint factory in Laem Chabang, where Mitsubishi has yet to upgrade production efficiency for over 20 years.
The remaining budget of ¥13 billion is being considered for new robotics and automation upgrades for the company's three car factories in Laem Chabang.
Mitsubishi had submitted its investment applications for three EV projects worth a total of 13 billion baht with the Board of Investment (BoI).
The plug-in hybrid EV project worth 3.1 billion baht won BoI privileges in March, leaving projects for BEVs and hybrid EVs awaiting BoI approvals.