Blog of RENAULT NISSAN Alliance

Thailand plans to establish itself as a major production hub for electric vehicles, with the first locally produced cars available for sale within five years.

 

At the same time, Thailand’s Energy Ministry is making changes to regulations that will allow EV chargers to be set up at petrol stations. 

 

A pilot scheme – developed jointly by the Metropolitan Electricity Authority and PTT, Thailand’s leading oil and gas company – will see seven such chargers established in fuel stations in Bangkok, Chon Buri, Rayong and Ayutthaya.

 

The reason? A flexible and extensive charger network is seen as a key element in boosting sales of EVs in the country. And this will, in turn, make the country more attractive as an EV production centre as the Thai Board of Investment believes that up to half the EVs produced in the country would be sold on the domestic market. 

 

To encourage investment, the Board has already introduced tax benefits for locally based companies producing EV parts such as batteries, motors and air conditioning units. It is now developing further incentives designed to encourage global carmakers to build electric vehicles in the country. 

 

The incentives will cover the production not just of pure battery-powered cars, but also of flex-fuel vehicles, hybrids and fuel-cell vehicles. It is estimated that global EV sales could reach as many as 6 million vehicles by 2020… just as the first Thai-built EVs are coming off the line.