Eberspaecher JV sets up exhaust systems plant in Thailand

Purem AAPICO, the joint venture by Eberspaecher and AAPICO Hitech, has had the official opening of its new plant in Rayong, Thailand earlier this month. The production site, located 100km, southeast of Bangkok, will deliver exhaust systems for a pick-up truck of a leading US automotive manufacturer.

The new plant stretches over 3,000 square metres and was built in only five months on AAPICO´s Rayong campus. About 150 employees will produce passenger car exhaust systems. They will be used in a major pick-up truck platform of a leading US automotive manufacturer. As the market in Thailand for exhaust systems is growing, the plant has a yearly capacity of 300,000 systems for clean mobility. The products will be served for the local as well as international market and therefore comply to the strict emission legislation norms in like Euro 6 and CARB - LEV III or EPA - TIER 3. Thailand is one of the world’s leading automotive manufacturers, ranking 10th in 2022 with a total car production of 1.88 million units. For 2023, the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) forecasts that Thailand’s car production will reach 1.9 million units, which is a promising market for vehicle exhaust systems. 

The new plant in Thailand is the second production site for the JV in Asia. On October 10, 2023, Purem AAPICO opened a new plant in Rawang, Malaysia for production of exhaust gas aftertreatment systems. This includes hot ends with catalytic converters and manifolds as well as cold ends (mufflers and pipes). Featuring highly automatic state-of-the-art technology, about 100 employees will produce and deliver about 400,000 components yearly for four different car models directly to a Malaysian automotive manufacturer.

Martin Peters, Managing Partner of the Eberspaecher Group, commented: “It is impressive to see how successful this new partnership develops. Purem by Eberspaecher’s expertise in technological industrialization meets the local market know-how of AAPICO Hitech.”

Purem by Eberspaecher is growing with over 7,100 employees for clean mobility around the globe. “With the two new sites we opened –in Malaysia and Thailand – we are able to manufacture our products now in 19 countries. This shows how our footprint for clean mobility is constantly expanding”, Martin Peters added. 

“AAPICO is so proud to have Purem by Eberspaecher as its partner in Thailand. It is one of the largest global exhaust manufacturers of high quality and standards. This factory will be able to supply to other OEMs, further reinforcing Thailand as the Detroit of Asia”, said Yeap Swee Chuan, President & CEO of AAPICO Hitech PLC.