"it's futuristic to see the level of automation", Ian Thorpe in an Exclusive Interview at Fox ESS's Factory

WENZHOU, China, Aug. 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Recently, Ian Thorpe, an Australian multiple Olympic champion and Fox ESS's brand ambassador, visited Fox ESS's new smart factory in Wenzhou. Opened in June, the facility integrates cutting-edge technologies and has increased production efficiency by 66.7%. The factory covers 46,000 square metres and forms part of Fox ESS's plan to scale up manufacturing, reinforcing its long-term commitment to low-carbon energy solutions and global growth.

"It's been an incredibly exciting year becoming Fox ESS's brand ambassador," said Thorpe. "Getting to know the people, understanding what Fox ESS can deliver, what they've done in Australia, and what they're doing around the world—has made the opportunity feel real. And today, seeing the factory here in Wenzhou, it's gone above and beyond what I expected."

The plant runs highly automated production lines, producing a battery pack every seven seconds, with an overall automation level of over 60%. An end-to-end product traceability system also provides full visibility across the manufacturing process, helping support consistent quality and reliable delivery performance.

One of the key highlights of the factory is the Automated Storage and Retrieval System (ASRS) warehouse, built to maximise space utilisation while lifting performance across the line. Once a unit enters the warehouse, the system can place it at its designated location in around one minute, helping streamline the entire production flow.

Thorpe said this was his first visit to a manufacturing plant in China and that, among the facilities he has toured worldwide, this was the most cutting-edge he had experienced.

"I felt like a school child experiencing it all, the scale of the factory, and knowing this isn't the end because Fox ESS is still growing," he added. "The automation is highly advanced, but there's still appropriate human engagement for quality control."

Dedicated Innovation to Deliver Lasting Value

Referencing Fox ESS's campaign line "higher, faster, smarter", Thorpe connected the messaging to both innovation and practicality.

"For me, higher and faster is about capacity, manufacturing, and installation, then smarter is about making economically and ethically better choices," he said. "Today I saw that smarter application means delivering things more efficiently and productively."

With Australians facing a cost-of-living crisis driven by rising electricity and gas bills, Fox ESS's role is not only to reduce energy costs today, but to continue delivering value in the future, giving people a clear incentive to explore how the technology could ease their week-to-week expenses.

"Australia has one of the highest rates of household solar adoption in the world. The next step is to optimise it with home batteries, storing excess sunshine for your own use or selling it back to the grid when prices are higher."

A growing partnership and a shared focus on the environment

Thorpe noted that representing a Chinese brand is a first for him, and said he was motivated by both the opportunity and shared environmental values. "Australia is blessed with abundant sunshine," he added, "and it's the perfect place to make the most of nature's gift."

He also reflected on his first trip to mainland China in 2004, comparing then with what he sees now. "Now China has creativity, a domestic market that can develop products, and the ability to export to the world," he said.

Fox ESS has achieved impressive milestones on a global scale, ranking No. 1 for residential energy storage market share in 2025, as recognised by S&P Global Energy and Frost & Sullivan.

"Moving forward, my responsibility is raising awareness that Fox ESS is the option Australians should consider," he said.

SOURCE Fox ESS