Thailand is ready for electric vehicles

BANGKOK, Sept 19 (TNA) – Thailand is ready for electric vehicles and can become a major production base in the region due to the readiness of its workers, according to experts. In a discussion on the future of electric vehicles in Thailand, Jumpot Himacharoen, research and development director of the Metropolitan Electricity Authority (MEA), said the government planned power supply to support the use of 1.2 million electric vehicles within 2036 and pending that the government would set up charging stations and test electric vehicles. An electric bus was being tested and the MEA was designing charging stations for electric buses, he said. Relevant laws will be passed and fees of charging stations will be set. Amornrat Kaewpradap, secretary-general of the Electric Vehicle Association of Thailand (EVAT), said there was a bright prospect for the electric vehicle market in Thailand as car makers were increasing the models of their electric vehicles. She said that electric vehicle investment and production would be feasible with government support as Thai laborers had experiences in the production of automobiles and parts. Kittisak Ngoen-ngok-ngam, Southeast Asian business development director at Delta Electronics (Thailand) Plc, said the company together with the MEA and the EVAT had developed charging stations for six years. The stations were first set up in cities and then expanded to regions. The parties focused on modern and portable equipment that could be assembled into a charging station within only 30 minutes and their charging stations had all kinds of plugs. The power of the charging stations ranged from 50 kilowatts to 100 kilowatts and they could be upgraded to serve electronic buses and other public transport vehicles, Mr Kittisak said. (TNA)