China’s electric vehicle makers are using Hong Kong’s annual auto expo this week to signal their ambitions in the Southeast Asian market, with some brands rolling out right-hand drive models for the region’s roads.

“Our first priority will be Indonesia,” Amy Gong, president of Seres Group subsidiary DSFK, said on the sidelines of the International Automobile and Supply Chain Expo on Thursday. “Expanding manufacturing capacity in the Southeast Asian market depends mainly on demand.”

Built in 2017, DSFK’s plant in Indonesia’s Banten province covers 200,000 square metres, employs around 800 workers and has a production capacity of 50,000 vehicles a year, according to the company.

China’s new energy vehicle exports reached 1.83 million units in the first five months of the year, surging 110 per cent year on year and accounting for more than 45 per cent of total vehicle exports, according to state media China National Radio.

Chinese brands, including BYD, Jaecoo and Wuling Motors, captured 17.6 per cent of Indonesia’s car market in the first quarter of 2026, data from the Indonesian Automotive Industry Association showed.

“Worrying about price wars is pointless,” Gong said. “China’s overall supply chain costs are actually quite competitive and that provides a very good platform for all Chinese new energy vehicle companies.”