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Friday 7 January 2011

Cambodian first car factory begins construction

Nhean Phaloek and his Angkor car.

By Khmerization
Source: RFA

A local company has begun constructing the first Cambodian car factory to build and assemble the locally-designed Angkor series cars designed by a self-taught Cambodian mechanical engineer, Mr. Nhean Phaloek.

Heng Development Ltd has formed a $20 million joint venture with an unnamed German car-maker to build a car factory on a 20 hectares of land in Kandal province near Phnom Penh.

Mrs. Sieng Chan Heng, CEO of Heng Development Ltd, said the construction has begun and the factory will be completed in 6 months time. She said the factory will employ about 300 Cambodians and has the capacity to produce 500 to 1,000 cars in the first year for local use and for exports. The car the company planned to produce are the battery-powered 2-seater and 4-seater Angkor series electric cars designed by Mr. Nhean Phaloek. "Our investment was 80% local and 20% from outside of the country. The investor is from Hong Kong (Chinese?), but the technology comes from Germany. The reason we invested in this business is because we are hopeful that we will be successful, but we cannot presume what the outcomes will be", she said.

Mr. Nhean Phaloek, the designer of the Angkor series cars, said the Angkor series car weighs between 700-800 kilograms, equipped with computer system and has 3-language pre-recorded message voice in Khmer, Chinese and English. The 2-seater car can travel between 60-80 kilometres per hour and the battery can last up to 500 kilometres. However, the 4-seater car can travel up to 120-160 kilometres per hour. He said the cars will be assembled in Cambodia, but production equipments will be imported from overseas. "The assembly equipments will be ordered from overseas, but the cars will be assembled in Cambodia. We ordered only the moulds, the aluminium steel - only the parts that we cannot produce locally. We imported them to mould in the country", he said.

He said the car doors can be opened telepathically, using a fingerprinted electronic cards which can recognise (store) fingerprints from up to 60 people. "The cards are very identical, both the size, the thickness and the colours. When we put the card in, it doesn't mean that the card won't come out (eject) again. This is an electronic command-box. It is different from the Japanese and American cars. It is very easy to use to listen to the music. It is sort of an MP3", he said.

One other special feature is the pre-recorded voice coming out of the car while we handle them too rough. "When we closed to the doors too hard, it will cry out, and when we drive the car too bumpy, it will cry out also. I designed it to attract buyers' attention, but also for laughter when we hear the car's voice cry out. It can be switched to English voice or other language voice", he said.

Mr. Nhean Phaloek said he started to design and build his own cars since 2002 and in the 5-year period he had designed 3 models of his Angkor car series. "In fact, it is very difficult (to design and build these cars), beyond my expectation. If it is easy, I believe all the more than 10 million Cambodians had started to make cars already. There is no one because this is a very complicated job, which they believe that it is the most manually job (work manually)", he said.

Mr. Nhean Phaloek said the material and parts will be ordered from Germany, Hong Kong and Japan. He hope his Angkor series cars, priced at $5,000 each, will be available for local sales in 2012.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thank you Mr. Nhean Phaloek!!!! I will save some money to get the four seater one. I also happy that chinese and khmer have investing on your idea. This is the right time to export to our allied neighbors. I am so happy because this car is made in Srok Khmer and the car can cry in Khmer. Me and my kids are going to have laugh and joy with it on weekend travel. Thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

interesting news.

Unknown said...

CONGRATULATION! Mr. Nhean Phaloek on ur success for the first Khmer car ever build in Cambodia. ur name will be recorded not only in Cambodian History; but also in the World History of Khmer genious. As we got up from the under year zero; and we are possible to proof the world of our capbility. We are carry on OUR KHMER ANCESTORS WHO WERE THE GREAT ARCHITECH AND ENGINEERING. At the present and to the future, Khmer will be recognized 'n established in the Hall of Fame because we have the Cambodiians as u who have love 'n share the world of technology...!
i really admired how patient u have 'n love for our ppl 'n our country which under pressure of our neighbours and other countries who come to take advantages from us.
Congratulation once again!
BRAVO! CHILDREN OF ANGKORIANS!
BRAVO! THE SUCCESSFUL OF KHMER
BRAVO! THE LAND WHERE ANGKORS WERE BUILT ARE BELONG TO KHMER!
MOST OF ALL, BRAVO! THE ANGKOR CARS WILL BE BUILT BY KHMER IN CAMBODIA WHICH LEAD BY Mr. NHEAN PHALOEK...!

Anonymous said...

Wow, never underestimated the will of the Khmer, especially Mr. Nhean Phaloek. Imagine that, Cambodia's very own car. Initially, it must have been very rough from his ideas to first model. He had faced so many obstacles. Such obstacles were mockery and ridicule from family and unsupportive friends and neigbors. I'm glad he didn't listen to them, and proved them all wrong otherwise' he wouldn't have made it to the road.

Now, Mr. Nhean Phaloek will have his own company that will be producing an electric cars, very environmentally correct as well, I may add. I'm positive that he will be sucessful at his endeavor. Some people may not buy his car for everyday driving and some probably buy his car just because it's made in Cambodia.

Anonymous said...

within 30 year cambodia car maker will put japenese to shame.go go go...! khmer got talent.

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Anonymous said...

Congratulations to Mr. Nhean Phaloek for his innovations and inventions. We all Khmers should support him by buying his cars when they are on sales. Let's support him.

Anonymous said...

Great job for cambodia people for future