FOOD manufacturer FMF Group has announced it will enter the motor vehicle dealership market after securing an exclusive deal with China’s Yunnan Maimiao Auto Service Co Ltd.
The deal gives FMF Group exclusive distribution rights over a range of Maimiao’s Electric Vehicles (EVs) in Fiji and the South Pacific.
The Memorandum of Understanding was signed by the two parties at FMF’s Walu Bay headquarters in Suva yesterday and is said to include some of the most forward-thinking EV brands in the world, all built for sustainability and efficiency.
Speaking at the signing, FMF chief executive officer Sanjay Punja said the signed partnership would allow FMF to make sustainable transport accessible, practical, reliable and affordable for a lot of people.
“The cost of running and the maintenance of an EV is far cheaper than a normal vehicle.
“Most of these EVs can run between 400-600km and vehicles will be sold well below $50,000.
“For a 500km trip in Fiji, petrol would cost $130 but you’d spend $30 on electricity, and we intend to set up charging stations around Fiji,” Mr Punja said.
He said the new EV initiative has consumer-savvy features like a six to 8-year warrantee.
“FMF Group and Yunnan Maimiao will collaborate to build a spare parts supply chain and after-sales service network in Fiji and the Pacific. These vehicles are adapted for Pacific roads, fuel alternatives and economic conditions, all while supporting the region’s climate goals.”
Maimiao Auto chairman Wang Chen hailed the new partnership with FMF Group to jointly explore EV market in the Pacific.
“We firmly believe its implementation will mark a new beginning in sustainable development and green mobility transformation across the South Pacific,” Mr Wang said.
“I am confident this project will bring high-quality new energy vehicle solutions to the people of Fiji and across the South Pacific region.”
FMF is now expecting its first showroom and service centre in Suva later this year and in 2026 in the North and Western divisions.
![FMF managing director and CEO Sanjay Punja [fourth -left] pictured beside DPM and Trade Minister Manoa Kamikamica with the Chinese Delegation from Maimiao Auto Service Co Ltd. Picture: SUPPLIED](https://www.fijitimes.com.fj/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/PIC2.png)
