The Metropolitan Electricity Authority (MEA) opened
Thailand’s first electric vehicle (EV) charging station for the public, with
nine more stations to be launched by the end of next year, MEA Governor
Atorn Sinsawat said Wednesday.
The station opening was in response to the global warming
issue, he noted, adding that countries such as Japan and the United States
also have policies to support the use of electric cars.
The MEA, as a government organization, opened its first
pilot EV station at its headquarters on Pleonchit Road at no charge until
July 31 next year.
The nine other stations will be in Bangkok, Samut Prakan,
and Nonthaburi, with the construction cost of each at Bt600,000. Services
will include a quick charge at 20-30 minutes and a home charging system to
fully charge a vehicle in 6-8 hours.
The Metropolitan Electricity Authority will order 20
electric cars for its organizational use within four years. The move is
considered as beginning Thailand’s biggest step toward an electric cars
society.
Assoc Prof Watit Benjapolakul, Electrical Engineering
Department head at Chulalongkorn University, commented the government should
support the use of electric cars as Japan and the US do, for instance, by
offering tax reductions for such imported vehicles, and supporting opening
EV charging stations as well as subsidizing free services.
The academic forecast more people will opt for such cars
should their prices in Thailand be lowered from the current over Bt2 million
to around Bt1 million.
Meanwhile, Mitsubishi Motors’ planning and marketing
general manager Hideyuki Hatori said around 27,000 electric vehicles were
produced in Japan for export.
The company is considering whether to open an electric
car plant in Thailand for manufacturing its eco Mitsubishi Mirage as an
electric car. If it was to do so, Hideyuki said the Thai government must
provide complete privileges in setting up the plant, support the import of
lithium batteries or the construction of a lithium batteries plant in
Thailand, as well as reduce excise taxes from the current rate of 10
percent.
The manager noted three Mitsubishi electric cars have
been imported to the country. Another four will be within this year.
The current price of a Mitsubishi electric car is Bt2.6
million, of which the import tax is still as high as 80 percent. Such price
was not set for commercial purpose but rather for supporting research
studies of related agencies, Hideyuki said, adding that sales for commercial
purposes in Thailand is expected in the next five years. (MCOT)
