Farizon starts CKD in Indonesia, Geely's first plant outside China

Geely’s Farizon New Energy Commercial Vehicle Group has begun CKD assembly in Indonesia, producing the first locally-built electric van at PT Handal Indonesia Motor’s (HIM) facility in West Java. The first unit, a Farizon V8E, rolled off the line on August 13, marking the brand’s first overseas production project outside of China. The move shifts the company’s Indonesian business beyond simple sales to include local manufacturing, supply chains, and after-sales services.

Assembly is handled by HIM, a contract assembler that also builds vehicles for several other Chinese brands in the region. The project was formalized through a manufacturing agreement between Farizon, the Arista Group (the brand’s distributor), and HIM. HIM president director Denny Siregar noted the plant’s current capacity of about 88,000 units annually across Purwakarta and Bekasi, with a workforce of roughly 1,800. Farizon plans to upgrade production lines and add additional models in the future.

According to CEO Fan Xianjun, better known as Mike Fan, the Indonesia project is a concrete implementation of the brand’s localisation strategy. He stated that the first unit is not an end, but a new starting point for local operations. The plant, located about 80 km southeast of Jakarta, allows the company to adapt its products to local road conditions, climate, and operating environments.

The initial model is the V8E Cargo Van, a battery-electric light commercial vehicle designed for last-mile delivery, intra-city logistics, and urban-rural transport. The vehicle measures 5,395 mm long, 1,820 mm wide, and 1,985 mm tall with a 3,600 mm wheelbase. It features an 8.5-cubic-metre cargo box and a claimed range of 428 km on the WLTP cycle. Charging uses a CCS2 port for DC fast charging, which can take the battery from 20-80% in approximately 30 minutes at speeds up to 100 kW.

In locally-assembled (CKD) form, the V8E Cargo Van is priced at Rp425 juta (around RM97,700) on-the-road in Jakarta. Farizon is targeting annual sales of up to 1,000 units. The brand also offers the V8E as a 16-seat passenger van for Rp550 juta (RM126,400). Additionally, the F3E Super Cargo light truck, priced at Rp475 juta (RM109,100), is entering domestic production alongside the V8E.

It has been less than eight months since Farizon entered the Indonesian market through its partnership with the Arista Group. The company launched the 16-seat SV in January, the V7E and passenger version of the SV in April, and the V8E in late July at GIIAS. This rapid timeline from market entry to local assembly highlights the speed of the company’s expansion strategy in the region.

Despite Indonesia’s EV incentives not extending to commercial vehicles, Farizon remains committed to developing environmentally-friendly commercial vehicles in the country. Arista Auto Elektrindo director Christoforus Ronny said the absence of incentives has not changed the company’s plans. This commitment comes as the company’s global business gathers pace, recently rolling out its 600,000th new energy commercial vehicle on August 10.

Geely’s presence in the region expands beyond this project. The automotive giant also sells the [Mercedes-AMG E 53](https://herwigsgaragesale.com/mercedes-amg-e53-india-price.html) in India at 1.45 crore, illustrating the broader reach of its manufacturing capabilities. The company continues to explore how its various brands can meet specific market needs through localized production.