The market for electric vehicles in ASEAN is currently not very big, but carmakers have started to plan for the future. Nissan, a mass market EV pioneer with the Leaf, has shortlisted Thailand to host its Asia Pacific EV manufacturing facility, the Bangkok Post reports.
Yutaka Sanada, Nissan’s senior VP for Asia and Oceania, told the daily that Thailand is one of the key candidates to house Nissan’s EV facility because the carmaker has already invested heavily in factories in Samut Prakan, which now have a production capacity of 370,000 vehicles per annum.
Nissan also has an R&D unit and proving ground adjacent to the factories. Called Nissan Technical Center South East Asia, it’s the third of its kind outside of Japan and the only one in ASEAN.
“I think all the promotional schemes and the Thailand 4.0 policy are set to drive future EV manufacturing in Thailand. Nissan is conducting a feasibility study for its eco-friendly models in the ASEAN market. Once we see any acceleration of EVs in Thailand or around the region, Nissan can localise production very quickly, so we are seriously considering applying for investment incentives,” Sanada said, while pointing out our region’s AFTA free trade zone benefits.
The exec said that Nissan has plans to introduce the Leaf EV and e-Power hybrids in our region while the above-mentioned feasibility study is conducted.
“We have seen that overall, EVs are not conspicuous in the ASEAN region, but we strongly believe that EV popularity is going to accelerate once customers learn about their efficiency. In this region, e-Power technology can appeal to customers because it is more affordable than the Leaf,” Sanada said, adding that Nissan plans to introduce e-Power models in Thailand and Indonesia as soon as possible.
The most likely e-Power candidate is the Nissan Note e-Power, which went on sale in Japan in late 2016. The e-Power system is rather unique. It’s a non-plug-in range extender hybrid with a 1.2 litre three-cylinder engine that’s not connected to the driven wheels. The engine is only there to feed the electric motor. The Note is currently sold in Thailand, but as a regular 1.2L eco car without the e-Power system.
The latest Nissan Serena also has an e-Power variant, unveiled in October 2017 and set to go on sale in Japan this year. The fifth-generation MPV has been spotted testing in Malaysia lately, although we will probably get the carryover S-Hybrid powertrain instead of the e-Power.
Meanwhile, the all-new Nissan Leaf made its debut in September last year, and Edaran Tan Chong Motor has already confirmed that the second-generation EV will be brought in this year.
The new Leaf receives significant gains in performance and range, with the electric motor now producing 38% more power and 26% more torque, at 110 kW (148 hp) and 320 Nm respectively. Juicing it is a higher-capacity 40 kWh lithium-ion battery that increases its range on the New European Driving Cycle (NEDC) from 195 km on the original (later models could go up to 250 km) to 378 km.
Also new is ProPILOT semi-autonomous driving with adaptive cruise control and lane keeping, plus autonomous ProPILOT Park. There’s also an e-Pedal feature that allows you to speed up and slow down (even to a stop) solely by moderating the accelerator pedal.
Looking to sell your car? Sell it with Carro.
sighhhhhh, thailand lagi….
why never choose msia….oh wai
In the 80s and 90s, Malaysia was the Detroit of Asia. But because of kebodohan, all the car companies decided to make Thailand the Detroit of Asia.
We lost about few hundred billion USD (trillions) in investments plus about 500,000 jobs for Malaysians. Oh wai!
The relation between Thailand and Japan are like inseparated couple.
Both countryman have quite similar mindset as they are Buddhist majority and treat their royal family as godlike.
M Proton time : created AP KING create new company sell AP business. MAI EEV time: created SONGKLAP KING local joint venture shares company songklap eev incentives. √ In the end, kill mesia auto industry, car price keep increase year-by-year, left only 30millions mesia suffer.
MY national car project brought more harm than good. high time to Change, 61 years of misery
Really? P1 is aged 61 years? I thought wiki says it was established in 1983.
This is the problem with low levels of proficiency in English in Malaysia. People cannot understand the context the statements are made.
please try to improve on your English. This is why social media is full of pix of English blunders
Because most car manufacture already set up their base in Thailand since 70s as Thai banned imported car.
Malaysia even in 80s still mainly import car from Japan or Thailand and CKD not even occupies half of the vehicle sold locally, worst was the lucrative industry lack of participants of their own people.
As no foreign company willing to pour money to set up a car manufacture plant in Malaysia, Mamak go spend some government cash to set up the Proton with MMC and he had plan to rise tax for foreign car unless it fully built in Malaysia using local vendor / own by crony or glc / nominate crony into board of director. There how we ended up with Perodua, UMW Toyota, DRB Honda/Merc, SimeDarby Hyundai/BMW, Naza KIA/Peugeot, Berjaya Mazda..
This is mai.miti management Malaysia auto-hub, City EEV -15k become 75k from 90k, but others models all been songklap by DRB-Honda where Civic1.8 EEV suppose sell 95k from 110k. Even Cambodia & Laos launched new gen Vios in 2017 while mesia 2018 still selling old generation Vios. —>now everything went wrong, after AP kill the investor, now even new EEV incentives also turn into Songklap King make rakyat suffer pay higher car price…
pity msia from asian tiger to pussy cat
Nissan presence in ASEAN is too small to matter.
If Nissan got no presense, Proton lagi no presence. Insignificant. Better tutup kedai
Malaysian Government still don’t get the message.
The Japanese can invest in Thailand all they want, we have the economic might of China behind our back. With Geely & GWM already committed to expanding to Malaysia as a RHD hub, the 2nd and soon to be 1st largest economy will continue pouring money and with it Malaysia will grow
Geely > Nissan
Geely > All
China is now rising sun while jepunis is, ironically, becoming setting sun.
jepunis is rising son
Is there someone in malaysia doing a comparison of FC vs Electric consumption for the previous gen Leaf? Not sure how feasible these electric vehicles are until someone make a proper comparison in their daily commuting.
Anyway.. the e-Power Note is the interesting one here for daily commuting purposes.
And why not? It’s a full manufacturing facility in Thailand whereas Malaysia is only an assembly plant. The infrastructure is already there.
Thai gomen giving incentives so as long as they get FDI & citizens have jobs out of it. Sure, they’re also corrupted but not to the outrageous level as some ASEAN countries.
I think there are other messages here that is the change from the old combustible-engines to the newer EV engines and our preparedness.
Correct.
There is a worldwide EV revolution underway, however it still remains quiet in SE Asia.
Do some research and see what plans the major car manufacturers are up to over the next 2 to 5 and 10 years. It is quite staggering the amount of money being put into R&D and building of plants in readiness to start production.
The battery revolution has already started, hence the share price increases of companies that can supply lithium for the batteries.
The EV revolution is happening, whether you like it or not