(Yicai) Feb. 29 -- Svolt Energy Technology, a Chinese maker of electric vehicle batteries, has kicked off operations at its new plant in Thailand to serve Chinese carmakers Great Wall Motor and Hozon New Energy Automobile.

The new factory, a joint venture between Svolt's local unit and renewable energy provider Banpu Next, came on stream yesterday, the Jiangsu province-based partner announced the same day. The rising capacity should help refine Svolt's presence in the new energy industry in the Asia Pacific, it added.

The project is the quickest Svolt has ever built as the pair began constructing the factory in eastern Thailand's Chonburi province last July and started trial production in December.

Two Chinese clients are already lined up as Baoding-based GWM started producing electric cars in Thailand in January to cut costs while Hozon announced last May that it and Bangchan General Assembly, a local car assembly business, reached a deal on producing its electric model Nezha V in Thailand. Such production is set to begin this year.

The new plant is expected to be able to provide over 20,000 battery packs to local customers this year, meeting the mainstream demand for batteries used in class-A compact cars.

Editor: Emmi Laine