Startup Selex Motors became the second electric vehicle brand to export abroad

DNHN - According to the founder of Selex Motors, the plan to export abroad came earlier than expected, and in the future, Selex Motors also aims to develop other markets in Southeast Asia.

Recently, through its Facebook fan page, Selex Motors announced that it has officially exported the Selex Camel electric motorcycle model along with its ecosystem, battery exchange infrastructure, and energy-sharing platform to the Philippine market. The company followed in the footsteps of VinFast to become the next Vietnamese electric vehicle brand to export abroad.

A representative of Selex Motors said that many international partners approached them, wanting to import the entire ecosystem and business model of Selex Motors. However, the company chose the Philippines as the first pilot market because of its great potential and suitable partners.

"The Philippines is in the early stages of electric vehicle development and has strong promoting policies. After evaluating the solutions from companies in various countries, they decided to choose Selex Motors because of the company's comprehensive solutions, optimized for cost and operation, and with high scalability," shared Nguyễn Hữu Phước Nguyên, founder and CEO of Selex Motors.

According to the founder of Selex Motors, the plan to export abroad came earlier than expected, and in the future, Selex Motors also aims to develop other markets in Southeast Asia.

"When a good opportunity arises, even if you're not fully ready, you must try to seize it. The electric vehicle market in the Philippines is almost non-existent," Mr. Nguyên added.

It is known that this is Selex Motors' first step into the international market. This startup was founded in 2018 with the goal of developing smart electric vehicles and battery technology, initially focusing on the logistics industry—the sector with the highest demand for transportation and the most desire to optimize costs.

"Logistics is the field that will first and soonest accept the transition to electric vehicles," Mr. Nguyễn Hữu Phước Nguyên once shared.

With this goal in mind, Selex Motors launched the Selex Camel electric motorcycle in November 2022, specifically designed for logistics and proudly introduced by the startup as the "first electric pickup motorcycle in Southeast Asia."

The motorcycle has a load capacity of 225 kg, 50% higher than current standard motorcycles, while saving 25-35% on fuel costs and 50% on maintenance costs. The Selex Camel is equipped with a maximum of three battery packs, allowing a maximum range of 150 km, with the ability to wade through water and traverse common slopes like bridges and tunnels.

Selex Motors' electric vehicle ecosystem currently consists of four components: the Selex Camel motorcycle, Selex batteries, automatic battery exchange stations, and an app that helps manage the entire ecosystem.

The core of this ecosystem is the battery exchange solution, which allows users to avoid spending 3-8 hours charging and instead spend just 2 minutes to get a fully charged battery at the station through the app. According to information on the company's website, Selex Motors currently has 71 battery exchange stations nationwide.

Even during the pandemic, this young startup built both an electric vehicle manufacturing plant and a battery production plant in Yên Viên – Gia Lâm (Hà Nội), with a production capacity of about 20,000 vehicles per year and 100,000 battery packs per year. Over 80% of the vehicle components are produced domestically.

The technology line at the factory was researched and developed by the Selex team itself. Meticulously exploring in the research room, from performing welds, assembling batteries to ensure thermal safety, the Selex engineers gradually developed a line that meets industrial standards for large-scale production.

Recently, Selex Motors officially became the first partner in Vietnam to be selected by Samsung SDI to cooperate in supplying genuine battery cells and jointly develop the market in Vietnam and Southeast Asia.

Mai Anh