Australian solar energy company, Star8 International, yesterday opened its first showroom in Cambodia, near the Phnom Penh International Airport.

The company factory, located 15 minutes away from the new showroom, has been manufacturing a range of solar powered products – from tuk-tuks to buses and solar tiling – since it first opened 18 months ago.

According to Jacob Maimon, chief executive of Star8, the company has invested between $8 million and $9 million in Cambodia and produces about 200 to 300 vehicles a month.

“My goal is to sell 1,000 vehicles per month, and eventually I want to take over the whole [motor] industry, where in the next five years there will only be solar on the road,” he said.

Maimon said that Star8 products appealed to the environmentally conscious consumers, and Cambodia provided an ideal market for his company to launch from.

“The reason we decided to do [business] in Cambodia is because the roads are very tough, the sun is very good, and if our cars and vehicles can run here, they can run anywhere in the world,” Maimon said.