STANLY Watches for Government EV Import Tax Overhaul, Backing Carmakers Using Thailand as Production Base, Targets 30% Sales Growth

Worapong Phonmuangla, Managing Director of T. Krungthai Industries Public Company Limited, or TKT, told the Stock Vision news team that the government's measure to raise import tariffs on electric vehicles will create an opportunity for domestic plastic parts and mold manufacturers, as carmakers may increase the share of parts they purchase and outsource from local operators. Currently, TKT derives about 1% of its total revenue from plastic parts for electric vehicles, taking on work as a Tier 2 supplier through Tier 1 parts makers that are partners of Chinese EV brands, and it delivers parts to roughly one or two Chinese EV makers. Although the Chinese-brand EV market has potential thanks to the establishment of production bases in Thailand, it still faces intense price competition, while actual EV registrations in the country stand at only about 40,000 to 50,000 units, below the production targets set by carmakers. The company expects total revenue this year to be close to last year's level, in line with the target set at the start of the year, amid a slowdown in the domestic automotive industry. The Federation of Thai Industries has cut its 2026 car production forecast from 1.5 million units to about 1.45 million units, with production for export at about 1 million units, and domestic car sales lowered from an original target of 500,000 units to about 400,000 to 450,000 units. TKT is therefore focused on cost management and improving production efficiency, including negotiating selling price adjustments based on cost structure, or Cost Plus, finding new suppliers and alternative raw materials, controlling Standard Cost, investing in tools to improve machine efficiency and reduce waste, and training to develop employee skills, in order to maintain profitability.

Tesla is planning a more than 538,000-square-foot distribution center near Austin, Texas, according to a filing with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. The project covers 538,720 square feet at the Mustang Ridge Distribution Center I, located at 6925 FM Road 1327 in Mustang Ridge, and carries an estimated construction cost of $1.44 million, with work scheduled to begin Dec. 7 and be completed Dec. 4, 2028. The filing describes the project as a new lease space build-out for Tesla in the existing Office/WHSE building and does not specify what products or materials Tesla will handle there or how many employees will work at the site. The facility adds distribution capacity near Tesla's Austin headquarters and Gigafactory Texas complex, which draw components from an extensive supplier network in Mexico spanning Nuevo León, Coahuila, Tamaulipas, Chihuahua, the Bajío region and the state of Mexico. In a separate development, Danfoss Climate Solutions launched a new production line at its manufacturing complex in Apodaca, Nuevo León, producing oil-free check and block valves for Danfoss Turbocor centrifugal compressors used in chillers and heat pumps, with 12 valve models made for North American original equipment manufacturers and about 80% of finished products ultimately exported, primarily to the U.S.

Tesla has set October 1 as the date for its second-generation Roadster demonstration, the latest in at least five Roadster demo or unveiling timelines floated this year. The car was first shown as a prototype in November 2017 with claims of a 1.9-second 0-60 mph time, a top speed of 250+ mph, and around 620 miles of range from a 200-kWh battery, with production originally scheduled for 2020 and deposits from $50,000 up to $250,000 for the Founders Series. Tesla put "Go for Launch" on X around September 12 with a teaser image marked "10.01," a countdown clock on its Roadster order page, and non-transferable invites to a gathering in Waco, Texas exclusive to reservation holders. The unveiling is expected to focus on the SpaceX package Musk has referenced since 2018, cold-gas thrusters built around hardware borrowed from SpaceX's Falcon 9 program and internally code-named A71, which Musk claims could deliver a 0-60 mph time of around 1.1 seconds; reports indicate the thruster-equipped variation may not be street legal and may be sold as a limited track-only run. Hedge fund holdings of Tesla fell from 123 in the first quarter to 116 in the second, a drop predating the announcement, and the demo follows the disappointing Cybercab launch on September 3.