President Shavkat Mirziyoyev visited the Jizzakh region on June 27 to familiarize himself with the activities of the BYD Uzbekistan Factory joint venture, the press service of the head of state reported.
The factory was launched in January during the president’s visit to China. This is the first stage of the project, worth $160 million, with a production capacity of 50,000 electric cars per year.
The joint venture was provided with modern industrial infrastructure, including nearly 2 kilometers of railroad tracks. To ensure continuous production, a warehouse for components and a logistics center for 1,200 containers were built. The plant is equipped with modern equipment and robotic systems from China. The production process is automated, and a laboratory for high-precision testing of geometric dimensions of electric cars has been set up.
The president toured the production facility and talked to the Chinese partners. The Chazor and Song Plus Champion models are now being produced at the plant. Shavkat Mirziyoyev signed the first electric cars, which were fully assembled at the plant and rolled off the assembly line on Thursday.
The head of state was also presented with information about the plans for localization of production. The plant’s model range is planned for expansion in the coming years.
Photo of a journalist Umida Olimova.
Within the framework of the second phase of the project, worth $300 million, it is planned to increase production to 200,000 electric cars per year. In the third phase, worth $500 million, production is expected to reach 500,000 electric cars annually.
As production increases, the level of localization is expected to rise gradually. Initially, the production of bumpers, windows, lacquered parts, and plastic components will be established. In the future, the production of batteries, electric motors, aluminum parts, tires, and seats is planned.
To remain competitive in this emerging industry, innovation and highly qualified specialists are required. Therefore, the creation of an R&D center (Research and Development center) for training and development of personnel, as well as support for scientific and engineering research, was emphasized. Measures to reduce production costs through localization projects were discussed. The long-term goal is to enter the regional markets.
Currently, the company employs 1,200 people. Last year, 200 employees were trained at UzAuto Motors plants. This year, another 92 specialists will be trained in the Chinese cities of Xi’an and Changsha in areas such as quality control, technology, supply, and equipment maintenance. Once all three phases are realized, the workforce is expected to reach 10,000.
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