Electric cars in Thailand move into the fast lane

by Jintana Panyaarvudh

The Thai Government has a goal of getting 1.2 million electric vehicles on the road by 2036.

The rising number of registered EVs, the development of a locally made EVs, as well as research and development of some EV parts are indications that it could have a major role in Thai society, said Amonrat Kaewpradap, a committee member of the Electric Vehicle Association of Thailand (EVAT), at a panel discussion yesterday titled ‘The future of Electric Vehicle in Thailand’.

Amornrat said the number of EVs in use in Thailand was gradually increasing, leading to the continuous growth of infrastructure of charging stations.

“More stations will boost the confidence for consumers in using EVs. So far, there are 500 charging stations in the country, she said.

She pointed out that the accumulated number of EV registrations in Thailand for Battery Electric Vehicles [BEV] and Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEV) sharply increased from 2016 to 2017.

In 2016, there were 80,194 registrations but the number surged to 102,700 in 2017, or an increase of 20,000 units.

Another indication is the higher imports of EVs, she said, adding that more BEV motorcycles were sold these days, pointing to its popularity. Moreover, EV manufacturers are hiking production amid increasing demand from buyers.

She believes the price of EVs could come down in the future as the government will support its usage with incentives.
Jumpote Himacharoen, director of research and development, Metropolitan Electricity Authority [MEA], said the power agency would provide sufficient electricity to serve the targeted number of EVs. MEA has recently launched an online application on the locations of EV charging stations for the convenience of drivers.

Amonrat Kaewpradap, second from right and Jumpote Himacharoen, second from left. speak at a panel discussion on “The future of Electric Vehicle in Thailand”