Prayut seeks update from motor show on response to EV campaign

Government Spokesman Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana said Prayut had ordered the team to survey the Bangkok International Motor Show 2022 and monitor the response after the government announced a package to subsidise the prices of battery electric vehicles to woo manufacturers to make EVs in Thailand.

Thanakorn said his team found that a lot of motorists showed interest in buying EVs after the government announced the package.

He said booths that displayed and sold EVs in the show drew a lot of public interest.

As part of the package, the government would subsidise the prices of EVs from THB70,000 to THB150,000 apart from reducing import tariff on EVs that would result in a further discount.

Thanakorn said the Excise Department has budgeted THB3 billion for implementing the package. If necessary, the budget can be increased, the spokesman said.

He said EV manufacturers interested in the promotion must first discuss with the Excise Department about the price structure of EVs and they can later start selling the EVs at the discounted prices following approval by the department.

Thanakorn said Great Wall Motors and MG are selling their EVs at discounted prices at the motor show. GWM is selling 1,500 EVs and MT is selling 500 EVs at the show.

The spokesman added that eight or nine more manufacturers have expressed interest to join the programme, including Benz, BMW, Toyota, Honda, Mitsubishi, Nissan and Neta brand by Foxconn.

“The government has a policy to support the use of EVs to reduce carbon emission and to make Thailand the hub of EV manufacturing in Asean,” Thanakorn said.

He said once the country achieves the goal of becoming a manufacturing hub for EVs, it would reaffirm its image as “Detroit of Asia” and it would increase the country’s competitiveness.