Even because the automotive industry grapples with the worldwide economic downturn, local authorities and automakers remain stubborn about their ambitious goal of creating Thailand a frontrunner within the region’s electric vehicle (EV) industry.
Since the lifting of lockdown measures, there was a gradual flow of reports and updates on electric vehicle projects in the private and non-private sectors, confirming that the country stays on course to realize its goal.
The electric vehicle policy was introduced in 2016, but initially met with a lukewarm reception from automotive corporations. Only state agencies have began small-scale projects similar to prototype charging points and EV facility management platforms.
The private sector, especially energy corporations, later joined the authorities with increasing enthusiasm to proceed the event of electrical vehicles, seeing the business as a chance to catch on to the clean energy trend.
The government is taking electric vehicles more seriously, establishing the National Electric Vehicle Policy Committee (NEVPC) earlier this yr to raised implement the policy. In March, NEVPC announced an electrical vehicle roadmap that goals to assist the country’s auto industry produce 1.2 million vehicles inside 10 years.
Among the recent changes is the choice of the Energy Regulatory Commission to use more appropriate charging rates for electric vehicles. Others, including Energy Absolute Plc, Banpu Plc and the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand, proceed to develop electric ferries, buses, motorcycles and tuk-tuk three-wheeled vehicles.
Chinese automaker Great Wall Motors Co (GWM) recently announced the strengthening of its automotive manufacturing base in Thailand in a bid to grow to be a frontrunner in the electrical vehicle segment.
Meanwhile, other smaller corporations are promoting on social media their services of converting aging gasoline-powered cars and buses into electric vehicles and providing home charging systems.
I’m starting
The Industry Ministry is moving forward with the NEVPC roadmap to ascertain Thailand as a serious electric vehicle production base inside five years, Industry Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit said.
The first phase of the plan, starting this yr, goals so as to add 60,000-110,000 electric vehicles to the road annually by 2022. This will increase to 100,000-300,000 by 2025 and range from 400,000 to 750,000 after 2026
Foreign automotive manufacturers are also intensifying work on expanding their activities in the sphere of electrical vehicles. As it continues to provide internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles, GWM has shown strong interest in adding a spread of electrical vehicles to its production lines, including Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEV), Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEV) and Battery Electric Vehicles (BEV).
German luxury carmaker BMW has promised to assist construct facilities to support the electrical vehicle ecosystem in Thailand. Krisda Utamote, communications director of BMW Group Thailand, said his company is making every effort so as to add more charging stations within the country in order that drivers have higher access to scrub fuel.
BMW operates 141 ChargeNow stations at 63 locations in Thailand (91 public and 50 at BMW dealers).
Increasing the supply of electrical vehicle infrastructure could be a superb start for the country to grow to be a key player in the worldwide electric vehicle market, Suriya said.
Achieving the goal would require cooperation from each the private and non-private sectors. On the federal government side, several agencies, including industry, energy, finance and transportation, are involved in efforts to develop the electrical vehicle industry, Suriya said.
Building a brand
Sakun C Innovation Co, the vehicle marketing arm of leading Thai auto body manufacturer Choknamchai Group, is preparing to enter the electrical vehicle market and increase the popularity of the Thai automotive brand internationally.
The company is decided to finish these two missions after Thailand has served as a world automotive manufacturing center for nearly 50 years.
The country is the most important automotive producer in Southeast Asia and is among the many top ten on the earth.
Sakun C Innovation positions itself as a manufacturer of car bodies for specific purposes similar to ferries, patrol boats, ambulances and electric boats, as a part of its brand technique to avoid fierce competition in a market dominated by global giants.
At the identical time, it is going to proceed to hunt latest opportunities in the electrical vehicle business.
As more charging points grow to be available, the corporate will focus more on the electrical vehicle market, said Sakun C chief executive Weerapon Chaiteerath.
One of the brand’s future projects is to enter the electrical taxi market, providing products for drivers who wish to move away from combustion engines.
Landing
Like BMW, state agencies agree on the necessity to expand electric vehicle charging stations to draw drivers who’re still reluctant to purchase electric vehicles due to inconvenience of refueling their cars.
They are concerned about whether the variety of charging points will probably be sufficient and the way long it is going to take to completely charge the vehicles.
The state-owned Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (Egat) is collecting data from a year-long test of its own newly developed electric motorcycles, buses and boats to plan the installation of charging sockets in Bangkok and the inside.
Egat CEO Kulit Sombatsiri said the information will show how often drivers charge their vehicles and what the optimal distance between charging points ought to be.
Krisada, also the newly appointed president of the Thai Electric Vehicle Association, said electric vehicle charging service providers need to return together to administer their services under one standard on the identical platform, which can eventually be developed right into a mobile application utilized by drivers.
Without this integration, each company would individually provide services available only to its customers.
The goal is to make sure universal availability of charging points, much like ATMs or gas stations, in order that operators can serve all drivers of electrical vehicles, Krisada said.
The Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA), the state’s power distribution authority, can also be helping to extend the variety of charging points. It previously announced plans to further develop fast charging installations as a part of an electrical vehicle project that began in 2018.
The agency wants to construct 137 stations between the second half of this yr and 2021, covering 75 voivodeships.
Deputy Governor Sekson Sermpong said the PEA is working on a plan to set a voltage standard for electric vehicle charging systems to make sure sufficient power for vehicles while charging.
Fast charging technology requires huge amounts of electricity, so the agency must make sure that there aren’t any interruptions or accidents during charging, he added.
Energy Absolute Plc (EA) believes the technology will probably be a “game changer” in the electrical vehicle industry because it could solve the issue of drivers complaining about long charging times, EA deputy CEO Amorn Sapthaweekul said.
His company is test-driving an electrical boat that can quickly transport people from suburban areas to downtown Bangkok, avoiding major traffic jams.
According to EA, the boat is powered by an 800-kilowatt-hour battery that takes 15 to twenty minutes to charge. A completely charged battery permits you to cover a distance of as much as 80 kilometers.
The Board of Investment can also be planning latest incentive programs to encourage investment in charging products
Source: Bangkok Post
