ELECTRIC vehicle (EV) manufacturer Tesla Inc has ditched plans to set up an EV manufacturing plant in Thailand, Indonesia or Malaysia, and instead will focus solely on charging stations, according to a Thai newspaper.

“Tesla is currently only discussing charging stations, with the factory plans suspended not just in Thailand but worldwide. They are not proceeding in Malaysia, Indonesia or anywhere else except for China, America and Germany,” The Nation quoted an unnamed source.

The report said the decision followed the layoffs of a team of Tesla executives that visited Thailand in November-December.

After several meetings with Tesla executives, both in the US and Thailand, Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin announced in November 2023 that Tesla was poised to make Thailand a hub of its EV manufacturing.

Tesla made its debut in Malaysia with the Model Y in July 2023, selling 4,778 of its models until end-June 2024. — TMR