EV event aims to be eye-opener for entrepreneurs, users, policymakers

He said the largest electric vehicle-related exhibition and conference in Southeast Asia would be held from July 3-5 at the Queen Sirikit Convention Centre and would demonstrate all aspects of EVs for entrepreneurs, users and policymakers. 

Speaking at a press conference with partners and supporters, he said that this year's event would be organised under the concept “EV Ecosystem Transformation Towards Net Zero", highlighting Thailand's potential to become a regional EV hub while also moving to the global forefront in the transition to clean and green energy.

The trend reflected that the country's EV industry should consider issues beyond technology capacity, such as the end of the EV lifecycle, parts, and batteries, he said.

Krisda Utamote, president of the Electric Vehicle Association of Thailand and director of corporate communication, expected the event to provide an excellent opportunity for experts and participants from around the world to share and exchange knowledge, know-how, and experiences on the fascinating topic of electric vehicles, spanning the industry's upstream and downstream businesses. 

He emphasised that in order to go completely green, the industry and the public must be educated on how batteries and broken EVs are managed. The process includes upcycling and recycling, which is already facilitated by the current technology.

Apart from discussing how to handle used EVs and their parts, he pointed out that the event would also cover charging stations and energy management, which are another highlight of the EV ecosystem. EV-charging stations are popping up all over Thailand, but the number of stations still needs to be increased.

As of 2023, there were over 2,600 charging stations nationwide, with approximately 9,000 public charging sites. 

Krisda encouraged small and medium-sized enterprises, particularly automobile suppliers, to attend the event so that they could learn about the latest EV trends while looking for opportunities to integrate into EV global supply chains. 

Wirat Tatsaringkansakul, deputy secretary-general of Thailand’s Board of Investment (BOI), said that the EV industry was one of the government's initiatives to transform the country's economic infrastructure. 

He believed that Thailand could become the region's EV hub due to its strong supply chain for automobiles, complete and stable infrastructure, skilled work force, and robust government support measures.

Still, as a member of the public sector, he knows the BOI can do more to support the EV industry than simply provide incentives to attract both international and domestic investors.

He mentioned sponsoring events such as Electric Vehicle Asia and iEVTech 2024 as an example.

According to Informa Markets, over 33,000 visitors from 65 countries will attend the expo to gain cutting-edge insights from over 200 experts while experiencing innovative displays from over 250 brands worldwide, including seven international pavilions representing Germany, Japan, Korea, China, Switzerland, Singapore, and Taiwan.