Over the past year, there has been no shortage of activity regarding electrification coming from Thailand and Indonesia, with both countries highlighting their intent to embrace that path in strong fashion. That ambition has been outlined via plans for electric vehicle (EV) production to that of battery manufacturing and infrastructure development, made with great regularity.
The latest broadcast comes from Thailand, which says it is aiming to only sell zero-emission vehicles domestically from 2035. The intended move to go all-electric by then is very much aligned with the country’s plan to become a Southeast Asian hub for the production of EVs, Bloomberg reports.
That aspiration is not new. Last year, the country announced a policy aimed at making it an EV production base for the region within five years, and now, movement is being accelerated in order to gain high ground.
“We can see the world is heading in that direction, so we have to move quickly. We want to capture that growth post-pandemic, and we have the ambition to be the production centre because we already have the existing supply chains,” said Kawin Thangsupanich, an adviser to the energy ministry’s national policy committee.
The new plan also sets a target of having electric vehicles account for 50% of all new car registrations by the end of the decade, up from the 30% that was set previously, when the country announced its intention to build 750,000 EVs a year by 2030. That total includes commercial applications and two-wheelers.
Now that the country has set a target date for phasing out combustion-engine cars, the next step for the government will be to facilitate that transition. According to Kawin, this can be done by offering tax incentives, building out the appropriate infrastructure and developing regulations that promote EV manufacturing as well as incentivising consumers to buy such cars.
While full EVs currently make up less than 1% of cars in Thailand, the setting up of a deployment timeline is a necessary move to ensure that there is growth, according to Yossapong Laoonual, honorary chairman of the electric vehicle association of Thailand. ”If we let the EV adoption happen naturally, it could take too long. As a producer, setting a clear target makes the country more attractive for investment,” he explained.
Meanwhile, we continue to await our EV policy, the outline of which has been hinted at in the Low Carbon Mobility Blueprint revealed earlier this week.
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without National carmakers, Thailand gonna be Southeast Asian hub for the production of EVs.
We sappport our farsighted regime, no more protest, all went jail so no more left to fight. Let the rich travel in their shiny EV cars while we go back to riding fuel efficient buffalos. This is our future kap.
Msia locals started the trend, back to basics.
Which is why all this talk of green vehicles are nonsense. None of them are truly green when powered by coal powerplant or from nuclear energy. All this does is fatten up some spoiled brats pockets (ie EM). Until EV truly gives what it advertises, it is just a fancy gadget with no real meaningful application. Our country would be wise to take a wait and see approach before plunging into the unknown.
https://paultan.org/2021/04/23/perodua-ativa-bookings-now-at-55000-high-demand-global-chip-shortage-up-to-four-months-waiting-list/
With this much fanfare for a bog standard ICE car, why should the gahmen care to incentivise and push for EV?
2035 is extremely reasonable … it is more than a decade away and I’m sure in the next 14 years we will see TONS of affordable and attainable electric vehicles be released. Thailand also doesn’t really have any national brands to protect will ask quality brands to build cars in their country. Also due to tax incentives and infrastructure I’m sure EVs will be affordable.
Malaysia will surely benefit due to 0% import tax from ASEAN though I don’t think EVs will be as affordable due to protectionism for Proton and Perodua. I’m sure EVs will be produced by Proton and Perodua in that time frame but for more quality EVs – Malaysians will be priced out by taxation/protectionism.
Nicely said bro. By 2035, Malaysians happily covered by Perodua locally engineered EVs.
Loosely based on state of the art Toyota bZ4X SUV & Toyota Izoa, reliable and very low maintenance.
When our neighbouring countries such as Indonesia, Vietnam and Thailand accelerating the future mobility which cares about the environment, we in Malaysia the government still arguing about something that is irrelevant. We can’t afford to work like a snail. We need to run faster and grab every single opportunity. In the future whoever work smarter and faster, they will succeed.
Copy paste: “All the talk about EV but Malaysia doesn’t have the infrastructure of facilities to charge the Electric Vehicles… People are sceptical about EV just like the Hybrid cars whereby the replacement cost of the lithium batteries are atrocious. That’s the main reason no 2nd value…”
And Malaysia is still sleeping in this matter.
Malaysia will need another 10 years to catch up so watch this space in 2045 instead.
Government will want to protect Petronas for sure and unlike Shell who has a clear goal for a green future, I haven’t seen any milestone set by Petronas to become a sustainable renewable energy company.
As long got 30% cut why mau susah2 panas berpeluh..
Our gomen plan more ambitious. Go! Go! Go!
https://paultan.org/2021/04/01/new-ev-policy-to-propose-0-import-excise-duties-and-sales-tax-zero-road-tax-for-limited-cbu-units-madani/
10k unit only, then what? Ambitious?
Like Bantuan Permai sst free subsidy, it will be extended further if reception if hot hot hot!
I foresee TNB has a bright future here….