This deserves a seperate thread !! :)

Hyundai puts the Kingdom in fast lane

Friday, 30 July 2010 15:03
Soeun Sa

PRODUCTION of the first cars and vans to be assembled in Cambodia for domestic sale is set to begin at the US$62 million Hyundai plant in Koh Kong province this September.

The chief technical officer for plant owner Camko Motor Co, Gee Kyu Yong, said yesterday that the factory was 90 percent complete – with vehicle-assembly equipment due to be installed on August 20.

“In September, it will be possible to produce the first car here,” he said.

He also said that Hyundais would be the first automobiles to be mass produced and marketed in the Kingdom.

The new plant will initially make SUVs and 12-seat vans from parts manufactured abroad, according to Camko Motor’s finance director, Lim Visal.
Hyundai’s sales office in Phnom Penh sold vehicles manufactured in South Korea but had been frequently unable to meet demand, he said.

“We sell at least 50 cars per month, and we often run out of stock to sell,” said Lim Visal. “The Cambodian market is very receptive to Hyundai.”

Located in the Neang Kok Koh Kong Special Economic Zone, Camko Motor Co is a joint venture between KH Motors – the domestic distributor of Hyundais – and Cambodia’s Ly Young Phat Group.

Initially, the company intends only to satisfy the domestic demand for Hyundais, but may eventually export across the region.

“We plan to put together 1,000 automobiles in the first year,” said Lim Visal. “By the second or third year, we will be assembling 3,000 vehicles.”

The cost of building the plant would eventually total $62 million, Lim Visal said. Work on the first, $12 million phase is slated to wrap up in September. The firm will begin its second and third phases, costing $10 million and $40 million, when conditions allow.

Construction on the 165,000-square-metre plant began last June. The site covers 16 hectares and will include two facilities for assembly, as well as worker dormitories.

Hyundai generated global revenue of $1.2 billion during the second quarter, as its operating profits climbed 31 percent compared to a year earlier, according to financial statements released yesterday.

A jump in the firm’s sales in the United States made up for falling figures in China and Europe, Bloomberg quoted Hyundai Motor Co Chairman Chung Mong Koo as saying.

Good news for Cambodia and much more Jobs for Khmer people !

A very good beginning !! :)

Good News ! Later we'll have Toyota, Honda, and others !

Very good news ! It is the beginning !

yeaaaaaa, :cheer: More jobs for the kingdom, I'm glad they chose Cambodia, 'cause Cambodia really needed one.

Good beginning!!! Hope to see the first car is on sale in Cambodia soon ^^,

Now you know why I love Koreans lolz:)! :smug:

Hmmm. If you continue, we'll find a Korean woman for you.

^^ HAHAHA, thats should make he happy. :)

What about me?

What about me?

:wallbash:

...

The new plant will initially make SUVs and 12-seat vans from parts manufactured abroad, according to Camko Motor’s finance director, Lim Visal.
Hyundai’s sales office in Phnom Penh sold vehicles manufactured in South Korea but had been frequently unable to meet demand, he said.


Just wondering, what Hyundai vehicle models are we talking about here?

Are these the Grand Starex/i800 (10-12 seater vans currently being assembled in Ulsan, South Korea), and the Tucson iX or Santa Fe (SUVs built in Korea and in the US)?

^^I don't know my friend, I think Cambodia only do part... I'm not sure....:)

It is a good news, but I hope they will pay the fair labor price to the locals. It is bad if the the Koreans only want to take advantages of Cambodia's cheap labor but don't care about the community

^^I don't know my friend, I think Cambodia only do part... I'm not sure....:)
Even if they assemble vehicles from parts imported from abroad, that's still a good step compared to importing CBU (completely built-up) vehicles. At least that will offer employment to the locals.

By any chance, would you have a reference map as to what section of Cambodia the plant will be built in? All I have is that it's in Koh Kong (is that southwest of Phnom Penh?)

^^I don't know my friend, I think Cambodia only do part... I'm not sure....:)

Yes, thats what I think ..

Even if they assemble vehicles from parts imported from abroad, that's still a good step compared to importing CBU (completely built-up) vehicles. At least that will offer employment to the locals.

By any chance, would you have a reference map as to what section of Cambodia the plant will be built in? All I have is that it's in Koh Kong (is that southwest of Phnom Penh?)

"The vehicle assembling factory will be opened in coastal Koh Kong Province"

Most likely at Sihanoukville, because there is an international port in the city.

OT a bit...when I visited Siem Reap a couple of years back, the taxis were a combination of left hand and right hand drive cars (usually Toyota Camry). But I think we drove on the right side of the road. So am I right in saying that Cambodia is a drive on the right side country like Korea, the Philippines, most of Europe (except the UK) and the Americas?

^^left....:)....but i see some on the right too....Im not sure which side Cambodia use....

In cambodia the same as USA

Most of vehicle are import from USA.

^^left....:)....but i see some on the right too....Im not sure which side Cambodia use....

In cambodia the same as USA

Perhaps you can share some pictures of street scenes with cars?

Anyway, I wonder if the vehicles to be assembled in Cambodia will be left hand drive (currently the left hand drive vehicles of Hyundai are assembled in Korea and India for Asia), or right hand drive (for the Singapore market, perhaps?)

According to MYPHNOMPENH, their head office will be locate at Phnom Penh Tower :)

Perhaps you can share some pictures of street scenes with cars?

Anyway, I wonder if the vehicles to be assembled in Cambodia will be left hand drive (currently the left hand drive vehicles of Hyundai are assembled in Korea and India for Asia), or right hand drive (for the Singapore market, perhaps?)

Probably left hand drive ..

Anyone knows? :)

Koh Kong cars: Completion of factory delayed
Monday, 20 September 2010 15:00 Soeun Say .

THE launch of Cambodia's first car assembly plant has been delayed due to the late delivery of equipment, company officials said yesterday.

Officials at the US$62 million Hyundai car assembly plant in Koh Kong province had planned to start production this month and originally targeted August 20 as the date to begin installing equipment. But the machinary did not arrive until early September, according to officials at owner Camko Motor Company.

Camko finance director Lim Visal said yesterday that the plant would be ready to assemble cars by the end of the year, but declined to specify a date.

Camko Motor Company is a joint venture between the domestic distributor of Hyundai vehicles, KH Motors, and Phnom Penh-based Ly Young Phat group. The plant is being built in Neang Kok Koh Kong special economic zone in Koh Kong, some 370 kilometres southwest of Phnom Penh.

Construction on the first phase of the 165,000-square-metre plant began in June last year. Once complete, it will be able to assemble up to 3,000 cars a year.

The first phase cost some $12 million, with second phase slated to cost $10 million and the third phase $40 million. Officials previously said it would turn out SUVs and minibuses for the domestic market.

http://www.phnompenhpost.com/index.php/2010092042129/Business/koh-kong-cars-completion-of-factory-delayed.html

Probably left hand drive ..

Anyone knows? :)

If they were to assemble for local market, it must be left hand-drive. Cambodians drive on the right side of the road, so cars should have steering wheel on the left. There are cars with steering wheel on the right, most are illegally imported from Thailand.

I think the cars will be assemble for local market only. The factory can assemble up to 3,000 cars a year and that's not much, plus Hyundai has many car assembly plants around Asia.

Koh Kong cars: Completion of factory delayed
Monday, 20 September 2010 15:00 Soeun Say .

THE launch of Cambodia's first car assembly plant has been delayed due to the late delivery of equipment, company officials said yesterday.

Officials at the US$62 million Hyundai car assembly plant in Koh Kong province had planned to start production this month and originally targeted August 20 as the date to begin installing equipment. But the machinary did not arrive until early September, according to officials at owner Camko Motor Company.

Camko finance director Lim Visal said yesterday that the plant would be ready to assemble cars by the end of the year, but declined to specify a date.

Camko Motor Company is a joint venture between the domestic distributor of Hyundai vehicles, KH Motors, and Phnom Penh-based Ly Young Phat group. The plant is being built in Neang Kok Koh Kong special economic zone in Koh Kong, some 370 kilometres southwest of Phnom Penh.

Construction on the first phase of the 165,000-square-metre plant began in June last year. Once complete, it will be able to assemble up to 3,000 cars a year.

The first phase cost some $12 million, with second phase slated to cost $10 million and the third phase $40 million. Officials previously said it would turn out SUVs and minibuses for the domestic market.

http://www.phnompenhpost.com/index.php/2010092042129/Business/koh-kong-cars-completion-of-factory-delayed.html

I think the cars will be assemble for local market only. The factory can assemble up to 3,000 cars a year and that's not much, plus Hyundai has many car assembly plants around Asia.

It seems to me that the market is indeed small. In the Philippines (where I'm from), Hyundai is now No. 3 (http://www.topgear.com.ph/news/philippine-car-sales-up-37-2-as-of-july) (after Toyota and Mitsubishi) and they sold over 2,000 units in July 2010 alone. They expect to sell about 20,000 units out of a total 165,000 for the whole country. I mention these figures since the article above mentioned that the Hyundai factory in Koh Kong will churn out only SUVs and minibuses, obviously a much smaller market than subcompacts, compacts, midsize and MPVs combined.

Speaking of what vehicle models this Koh Kong plant will assemble, I'm guessing it could be an SUV specific to the Cambodian market...or probably the Hyundai Terracan (which is still being assembled in China)? As for the minibus I think it probably is the Hyundai Grace (also known as H-100)?

I think the idea is that they can take over the domestic market. There is a huge tax on motor vehicle imports, but not on parts, and by having an assembly plant in Cambodia they can bypass the tax by importing parts then selling cars.

But there's been no news on this lately has there? Was it tied to the same funding sources as CamKo city?

But there's been no news on this lately has there? Was it tied to the same funding sources as CamKo city?

Very likely