PTT prepares to test market for electric motorcycles

[snoop1130]

PTT prepares to test market for electric motorcycles

By THE NATION

 

 

PTT will launch its first 10 electric motorcycles as it tests the market this year.

 

The company said that about 3,000 electric motorcycles are so far being ordered. It will adjust the cost of its electric motorcycles to about Bt70,000 per unit in order to gain the a commercial sales volume benefit.

 

Wittawat Svasti-Xuto, chief technology and engineering officer, said that PTT’s involvement in electric motorcycles follows the group’s support of Thai startup ETRAN, which is a designer and developer of electric motorcycles, to test the market.

 

“The investment in the electric motorcycle business is in line with PTT’s strategy to invest in the electricity value chain,” he said.

 

"Initially, we admit that the investment cost in manufacturing electric motorcycles is still high at about Bt100,000 per unit. We plan to reduce the manufacturing cost for each electric motorcycle to about Bt70,000 to support its commercial purpose. So far, we have received orders from interested customers for about 3,000 units," said Wittawat.

 

He said that to test the market, the group’s startup has ordered the manufacturer to make 10 electric motorcycles under a sub-contract manufacturing agreement. As the motorbikes are not being mass produced yet, the retail price is still high. However, if the price is reduced to about Bt70,000 per unit, they could be more easily sold, Wittawat said.

 

The investment plan for electric motorcycles is one example of the directions that PTT is going following a reshuffle aimed at embracing disruptive technology, as well as the changing behaviour of consumers.

 

Source: http://www.nationthailand.com/business/30372311

 

- © Copyright The Nation Thailand  2019-07-04

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[Puchaiyank]

Two problems facing electric vehicles:

 

1 Batteries are expensive to replace...

 

2 How often do you hear a motorcycle before you see the rider...not going to hear much from this bike making them potentially more dangerous to operate...

 

Battery powered vehicles are here to stay...solving these two problems will speed up their acceptance.

[Wiggy]

2 hours ago, Puchaiyank said:

Two problems facing electric vehicles:

 

1 Batteries are expensive to replace...

 

2 How often do you hear a motorcycle before you see the rider...not going to hear much from this bike making them potentially more dangerous to operate...

 

Battery powered vehicles are here to stay...solving these two problems will speed up their acceptance.

Agreed, I've lost track of the times I've heard a motorcycle before I can see it whilst driving (even after looking left, right, up & down). This won't bode well for the road death toll I fear.

[colinneil]

2 hours ago, Puchaiyank said:

Two problems facing electric vehicles:

 

1 Batteries are expensive to replace...

 

2 How often do you hear a motorcycle before you see the rider...not going to hear much from this bike making them potentially more dangerous to operate...

 

Battery powered vehicles are here to stay...solving these two problems will speed up their acceptance.

Yes batteries are an expensive item for electric bikes, i paid 4000 baht to replace the batteries on my scooter.

Also some kind of noise device needs to be fitted, many times people are unaware i am behind them when in big C, or Global house as my scooter is silent.

[ChrisY1]

Will take a long time to be accepted.....it just won't be noisy enough for many.....but on the other hand, peace to our ears.

 

[bluesofa]

24 minutes ago, colinneil said:

Yes batteries are an expensive item for electric bikes, i paid 4000 baht to replace the batteries on my scooter.

Also some kind of noise device needs to be fitted, many times people are unaware i am behind them when in big C, or Global house as my scooter is silent.

It's hard to imagine you operating in stealth mode!

[guzzi850m2]

The range is a huge problem too if you want to do longer trips and currently no charging stations in Thailand. 

 

But looks like electric vehicles are here to stay, doubt there will be any with combustion engine for sale 30-40 years out in the future, perhaps even sooner, making the city's air much cleaner.

[VocalNeal]

17 minutes ago, guzzi850m2 said:

making the city's air much cleaner.

..and out in the countryside people will be trapped by having short range vehicles?

[Wiggy]

49 minutes ago, colinneil said:

many times people are unaware i am behind them when in big C, or Global house as my scooter is silent.

But isn't that all part of the fun?

Edited July 5, 2019 by Wiggy

[VocalNeal]

1 hour ago, Wiggy said:

Agreed, I've lost track of the times I've heard a motorcycle before I can see it whilst driving (even after looking left, right, up & down). This won't bode well for the road death toll I fear.

EU just passed legislation that says electric vehicle must make noise.

[yellowboat]

3 hours ago, Puchaiyank said:

Two problems facing electric vehicles:

 

1 Batteries are expensive to replace...

 

2 How often do you hear a motorcycle before you see the rider...not going to hear much from this bike making them potentially more dangerous to operate...

 

Battery powered vehicles are here to stay...solving these two problems will speed up their acceptance.

That was true years ago, but that threshold is eroding.  Electric car business in China has forced battery prices downwards.  The internal combustion engine days of cost effectiveness are nearly over. 

 

You are correct about danger.  Was in China last week.  Saw a pen lying on the side walk.  Bent down to pick it up, and some schmuck on a scooter almost took my head off.  He was slaloming on the crowded side of the sidewalk instead of using the part set aside for bikes.  There is no technology that cures bad behavior.  That same technology has allowed the uneducated to earn B40K a month.  Because of electric bikes, the delivery market is huge in China, giving the many a decent living.  Finding a petrol driven bus or taxi in Shenzhen is a rarity these days.   Many private vehicles delivery vans are electric now as well.  Thailand and its Japanese partners are way behind.   

[geoffbezoz]

Irrespective of all the negative issues to my mind it is a step in the right direction and being PTT, with so many service stations around the country,  perhaps this could provide the step change for them to install charging  stations on all their premises so that electric cars can also become more of a practical option for Thailand as a whole.

[JonnyF]

4 hours ago, Puchaiyank said:

Two problems facing electric vehicles:

 

1 Batteries are expensive to replace...

 

2 How often do you hear a motorcycle before you see the rider...not going to hear much from this bike making them potentially more dangerous to operate...

 

Battery powered vehicles are here to stay...solving these two problems will speed up their acceptance.

Battery technology is advancing at a rapid rate. It's already good enough for local journeys around cities which accounts for the majority of traffic in Bangkok/Phuket/Chiang Mai etc. It's still an issue for longer journeys but just using electric for commutes and deliveries in the cities would have a huge effect on air quality. Most journeys in Bangkok are around 10kms of sitting in traffic jams, imagine if all those vehicles were electric.

 

The noise issue is fairly easily fixed. A speaker shaped like an exhaust pumping out your favourite vehicular sound (I might go for a Ducati Desmosedici) at an appropriate volume would be easily done. I could rig it up myself with a portable Bose speaker and a couple of cable ties in 10 minutes although Honda could probably do a better job.

 

I'm guessing some very important people are making too much money selling Diesel and Gasoline to see too much pushing of electric tech in Thailand for a while. 

[yellowboat]

51 minutes ago, JonnyF said:

I'm guessing some very important people are making too much money selling Diesel and Gasoline to see too much pushing of electric tech in Thailand for a while.

Xi and Warren Buffett vs. those guys.  Think the shadowy figures you are referring too are looking to exit.   China will make in unbearable for them in 2-3 years given the current rate of acceptance.   Buffet is a stake holder in BYD, the biggest electric vehicle maker in China.  There are over 300 others too supplying electric cars to every strata of economic class.   They will look at SE Asia once the market in China fully matures, which won't be long by the looks of it.    

[Justgrazing]

8 hours ago, colinneil said:

Also some kind of noise device needs to be fitted, many times people are unaware i am behind them when in big C, or Global house as my scooter is silent.

For that very purpose Col' all new electric cars sold in Britain from this month must have a noise device that operates automatically below 12 mph .. above that you can turn it off .. And by all accounts you will be able to download different sounds 'bit like ringtones so if you want the sound of quacking ducks or a chuffing steam engine there you go it'll be out there .. Personally I'd go for a low flying jet fighter breaking the sound barrier with the volume turned up .. 

[Bert got kinky]

8 hours ago, colinneil said:

Yes batteries are an expensive item for electric bikes, i paid 4000 baht to replace the batteries on my scooter.

Also some kind of noise device needs to be fitted, many times people are unaware i am behind them when in big C, or Global house as my scooter is silent.

 

Yes batteries are an expensive item for electric bikes

When electric bikes become more popular the battery prices will drop, especially when Chinese manufacturers ramp up production.

 

[Bert got kinky]

10 hours ago, Puchaiyank said:

Two problems facing electric vehicles:

 

1 Batteries are expensive to replace...

 

2 How often do you hear a motorcycle before you see the rider...not going to hear much from this bike making them potentially more dangerous to operate...

 

Battery powered vehicles are here to stay...solving these two problems will speed up their acceptance.

 

There is also the problems with the width of this bike, there are some very narrow footpaths in Bangkok, which may force these motorbikes on to the roads.

[emptypockets]

They've had electric motorbikes on Myanmar for a couple of years now.  Look the same as a normal bike (step through). Chinese manufactured like most of the bikes there. 

[Kwasaki]

11 hours ago, Puchaiyank said:

Two problems facing electric vehicles:

 

1 Batteries are expensive to replace...

 

2 How often do you hear a motorcycle before you see the rider...not going to hear much from this bike making them potentially more dangerous to operate...

 

Battery powered vehicles are here to stay...solving these two problems will speed up their acceptance.

Surely you know Thailand is good win supplying auto loud speakers too. ????