The number of electric vehicles (EVs) in use in Cambodia is expected to rise significantly by the end of this year, with a BYD assembly plant scheduled to begin turning out new vehicles in late 2025.
During an April 10 meeting between the leadership of the Council for the Development of Cambodia (CDC) and a delegation from BYD Auto Industry Co., Ltd., Sun Chanthol, first vice-president of the CDC, expressed his appreciation to BYD’s leadership for choosing Cambodia as the location for another assembly plant in the Southeast Asian region.
The BYD delegation was led by Xiao Haiping, executive director of the BYD Group President’s Office, who confirmed that the plant is expected to begin operations in the fourth quarter of next year.
Chanthol explained that, as the Royal Government’s one-stop service body, the CDC is always ready to facilitate and coordinate all private sector investment activities in Cambodia to ensure a favourable, flexible and beneficial investment climate.
He also noted that the trend of using BYD cars in Cambodia is on the rise.
“Once the electric vehicle assembly plant is completed and officially begins operations in the fourth quarter of 2025, the usage rate of BYD vehicles in Cambodia is expected to increase even further,” he added.
According to BYD executives, a groundbreaking ceremony for the assembly plant is scheduled for the end of April.
The BYD assembly plant will be located in the Sihanoukville Special Economic Zone, which offers convenient transportation access for various components. The plant will involve an investment of over $30 million and is expected to have a production capacity of 10,000 vehicles per year.
Recently, BYD also introduced new vehicle models into the Cambodian market, such as the BYD SEALION 5 and BYD ATTO 2, which it described as “not only high quality and equipped with advanced technology, but also highly fuel-efficient and affordably priced for the Cambodian market”.
In June 2024, Prime Minister Hun Manet declared BYD’s establishment of an assembly plant in Cambodia as a major success for the Royal Government’s efforts to attract international investors to the Kingdom.
The Ministry of Public Works and Transport recently reported that the number of registered EVs in Cambodia has increased significantly. In 2024, a total of 2,253 EVs were registered — a 620% increase over 2023, when only 313 new EVs were registered.
The report showed that the most popular EV brands in Cambodia are BYD, Toyota and Tesla.
Currently, there are six car assembly plants operating in Cambodia, including those for Ford, SsangYong, Hyundai, Kia, GTV and Toyota.
