By Randy Thanthong-Knight

 

● Southeast Asian nation seeking to accelerate EV adoption

● Market is small with EVs making up less than 1% of vehicles

 

Thailand aims to only sell zero-emission vehicles in the country from 2035 as it works to transform itself from a Southeast Asian hub for the production of conventional autos to one making electric cars.

 

“We can see the world is heading in that direction so we have to move quickly,” Kawin Thangsupanich, an adviser to Energy Ministry’s national policy committee, said in an interview. “We want to capture that growth post-pandemic, and we have the ambition to be the production center because we already have the existing supply chains.”

 

The automotive industry is one of Thailand’s most important sectors. It contributes to about 10% of the economy, employs 850,000 workers, and supports industries from iron and steel to petrochemicals and plastic. About half of the cars made in Thailand are exported to countries including the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia.

 

Full story https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-04-22/thailand-lays-out-bold-ev-plan-wants-all-electric-cars-by-2035

 

-- © Copyright Bloomberg 2021-04-23

 

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Let's hope they don't get any crazy ideas that they would need nuclear power then.....imagine Somchai in a Russian plant and he cannot read the buttons ????

So, an adviser gives an opinion, and now it's reported as national policy? 

10 minutes ago, MadMac said:

Let's hope they don't get any crazy ideas that they would need nuclear power then.....imagine Somchai in a Russian plant and he cannot read the buttons ????

Absolutely!   As an ex nuclear instrumentation design engineer I think that I can confirm that the 'mai bpen rai' Thai mind set would not sit easily with the rigorous safety standards required on a nuclear plant.

 

However, all these electric cars are not going to pluck their power out of thin air.  It's not just a question of providing enough charging points, it's more fundamental than that.  The power has to be generated somehow and I think that the current infrastructure is going to need a serious upgrade.  It hardly seems to cope now!

Good idea but basically it won't happen by 2035.  Whilst many orld car manufacturers ar developing electric vehicles  with many on sale now, Thailand will lag far behind not only in its EV manufacturing  facilities but also in R & D.  ( Well you  only have to look at the Fortuna to now that is a fact) . Below is the design that they have currently focused on  and it looks ever more likely they will be adopted as the national standard.

 

 

A trip to Chiang Rai from Phuket will take a month of Sundays, and of course many recharging stations with hotels attached.  A true money maker.  Unless of course we just retrofit the cars to look like this one

Market is small with EVs making up less than 1% of vehicles

 

Gee why is this?

 

Maybe because EVs are way way less practical or functional than cars that run on gas....

 

If EVs were so great everyone would want one but people do not want them even at a cheap price..... 

Good idea in principle, supported by a wonderful graph suitable for the unintelligent and of no value whatever for anyone smarter than my dog., lets see if it gets even close to materialising.

 

But I do feel another hub coming on. Yet another one to add to a growing though undistinguished collection.

 

Nice deflection though, that should distract away from the virus... no?

9 minutes ago, redwood1 said:

Market is small with EVs making up less than 1% of vehicles

 

Gee why is this?

 

Maybe because EVs are way way less practical or functional than cars that run on gas....

 

If EVs were so great everyone would want one but people do not want them even at a cheap price..... 

Hi

 

I think people in Norway and Sweden might not totally agree with you. Electric cars (including hybrids) already make up over 50% of market share in both countries....

In line with the moon landing of the Thai space program

43 minutes ago, doctormann said:

Absolutely!   As an ex nuclear instrumentation design engineer I think that I can confirm that the 'mai bpen rai' Thai mind set would not sit easily with the rigorous safety standards required on a nuclear plant.

 

However, all these electric cars are not going to pluck their power out of thin air.  It's not just a question of providing enough charging points, it's more fundamental than that.  The power has to be generated somehow and I think that the current infrastructure is going to need a serious upgrade.  It hardly seems to cope now!

I see some more cables in the air; and more dirty coal from indonesia, ughugh

Public transport should be required for 95% of the population, then it would be easier to achieve the EV goal. 

 

With online Zoom working and schooling at home, food delivery, grocery delivery, available etc... no one really needs to drive anymore. 

 

Walking and bicycling is healthy and easy for most people.  EV scooters and wheelchairs for those that need them in the city.  EV buses for those who need to travel,  EV trucks and motorcycles for food and houseware delivery.  Done deal

 

Best plan would be to get rid of the ICE (internal combustion engine) in 5 years, its old tech and should be phased out ASAP like VHS tapes and cassettes. LOL 

It's all good man????   

Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles  seem much more practical for a country like Thailand. There's a very good chance these will be  predominant  over EV's in the next decade or 2. 

1 hour ago, redwood1 said:

Market is small with EVs making up less than 1% of vehicles

 

Gee why is this?

 

Maybe because EVs are way way less practical or functional than cars that run on gas....

 

If EVs were so great everyone would want one but people do not want them even at a cheap price..... 

This guy sees your point too

 

2 hours ago, webfact said:

Thailand aims to only sell zero-emission vehicles in the country from 2035

I can see it now. News from 2035:

Sorry I couldn't come to work yesterday boss.

We had a power cut and I couldn't charge the car.

The dog chewed the charging adaptor.

I left my charging lead in my desk drawer at work.

2 hours ago, Danderman123 said:

So, an adviser gives an opinion, and now it's reported as national policy? 

No...I think Bloomberg just reported it as the opinion of this government advisor.

Glad I don't own PTT stock.

1 hour ago, doctormann said:

Absolutely!   As an ex nuclear instrumentation design engineer I think that I can confirm that the 'mai bpen rai' Thai mind set would not sit easily with the rigorous safety standards required on a nuclear plant.

 

However, all these electric cars are not going to pluck their power out of thin air.  It's not just a question of providing enough charging points, it's more fundamental than that.  The power has to be generated somehow and I think that the current infrastructure is going to need a serious upgrade.  It hardly seems to cope now!

 

 

 

The green fad is to say change to electric vehicles, but no one understands (or wants to admit) the implications.

 

Better start building those new power plants now, upgrading the transmission infrastructure and upgrading the service to every residence planning to have a electric car to be ready for utopia in 2035.

Elsewhere in the world the big companies are investing in green hydrogen production. A 8GW renewables power station used to produce hydrogen from water is on the books for Western Australia, Saudi looking at 5billion dollar 4GW renewables hydrogen plant. Chevron and Toyota form an alliance for hydrogen cars in US. BP looking at North Sea hydrogen using renewables. So Thailand is jumping on the EV bandwagon.

 

Cheers

1 hour ago, Skallywag said:

Public transport should be required for 95% of the population, then it would be easier to achieve the EV goal. 

Oh yeah, Skateboards here we come, I will be hanging ten from the back of a Songthaew going down the road, and playing crack the whip.

2 hours ago, Rhacsyn said:

Hi

 

I think people in Norway and Sweden might not totally agree with you. Electric cars (including hybrids) already make up over 50% of market share in both countries....

Jeepers and what a massive  population they have 15million for  both.

3 hours ago, Rhacsyn said:

Hi

 

I think people in Norway and Sweden might not totally agree with you. Electric cars (including hybrids) already make up over 50% of market share in both countries....

But this thread is about Thailand and its wants and desires. Norway and Sweden are advanced western countries and much of Norway's electricity comes from Hydro power. Most of Sweden's electricity supply comes from hydro and nuclear, along with a growing contribution from wind.

 

Their electrical grids are much better that Thailand's.

 

For Thailand to even consider make large quantities of EVs, they need to upgrade the whole grid network.

 

Has anyone thought how people in tower blocks and condos will be able to recharge their cars, or people who travel long distances will be able to recharge their EVs on the journey? How about where long distance buses and trucks, taxis etc can recharge them.

 

Has anybody thought about what will happen to all the ICE vehicles that will be scrapped?

Here are the first prototypes:

 

 

3 hours ago, Rhacsyn said:

Hi

 

I think people in Norway and Sweden might not totally agree with you. Electric cars (including hybrids) already make up over 50% of market share in both countries....

Small population, rich, and the cars were subsidised. When subsidies are removed, the market in eV cars collapses. Denmark sales of ev's crashed 80% in 2017, or maybe 2016,when subsidies were removed. Thailand will never offer subsidies on cars. Its a third world country. 

 

It all plays into China’s hands.  They have the largest share of battery production, and have to import most of their oil.

2 hours ago, Litlos said:

Elsewhere in the world the big companies are investing in green hydrogen production. A 8GW renewables power station used to produce hydrogen from water is on the books for Western Australia, Saudi looking at 5billion dollar 4GW renewables hydrogen plant. Chevron and Toyota form an alliance for hydrogen cars in US. BP looking at North Sea hydrogen using renewables. So Thailand is jumping on the EV bandwagon.

 

Cheers

These big companies don't seem to be that enthusiastic when it comes to building infrastructure for hydrogen vehicles. In the UK in 2007 there were 4 filling stations. Now there are just 14 and 6 of those are inside the M25.

If I had a HFCEV I would be able to use it for about 100 miles per fill - the rest of the fuel being used to get to and from the filling station (100miles each way).

I read that the US has (at June 2020) 39 filling stations, so not much enthusiasm there either.

In the current phase, hydrogen stands no chance - it is the Betamax in the game. Electric cars are easier to sell and have visible filling points now. Such a shame as hydrogen has far greater possibilities. Its time will come.

Has anyone considered the consequences when the world goes to EV's and fuel demand is low. If I'm not mistake refining a barrel of oil yields about 70 - 80% fuel. Before the invention of the automobiles gasoline was poured into rivers as waste in the USA. If we take away the need for gasoline and diesel how will we dispose of them? Can't dump them into the rivers anymore. If oil companies can't sell 70-80% of the refined product they will go out of business along with oil producers. We still need oil to make just about everything. Can we use plant based oils like palm to replace the petrochemical products from crude oil? Hemp to replace polyester fibers? Maybe but look what happened to virgin forests of Indonesia and Malaysia when the palm oil boom started. Millions of acres burned along with the endangered animals that lived in them. Orangutans fleeing the forest were killed by villagers as they seeked refuge from the flames. Remember the smoke from Indonesia from burning those forest that produced more CO2 in a day than America produces in a year. The EU finally ban palm oil as bio fuel because of it. So if oil refiners stop refining crude oil where will the alternative come from? Corn can make plastics I use them almost daily 3D printing but again when corn was used to make alcohol for gasohol production thousands of Mexicans went hungry and forests were converted to farmland. The Amazon is already in trouble it will likely be wiped out to grow Green Alternatives. Wait and see how much CO2 is release from the worlds forests being burnt to grow alternatives for petrochemicals.

This whole green movement to EV and alternative energy reminds me of when I was a boy and environmentalists convinced the world that paper shopping bags were hazardous and glass milk bottles used too much energy/chemicals to clean. The miracle fix was plastics look how well that turned out now we have the Great Pacific Garbage Patch and micro plastics everywhere.

Greenies should consider the consequences' carefully of what destroying oil businesses will do to the environment. Human greed and need for luxuries like I-phones or computers to post nonsense will not go away. Something will have to replace the oil and it will likely do more harm than the CO2 from burning fuel.

Thailand needs to first work out it’s renewable energy plan before making such a bold step into EVs. If the cars need to be charged  by coal or gas fired power, this is not going to improve emissions to maintain the country compliant with the Paris agreement.

I am an EV owner (self converted) and I can say they are wonderful to own. For the country to progress the sector coupling of transport and power has to be aligned. Hydrogen is unsuitable for cars as it will cost 3.5x more to refuel them compared to EVs. Heavy transport is a different matter.

These "forward thinking" government official worldwide fail to grasp significant bumps in the road to a world with "all electric vehicles.

Firstly, how will they produce enough affordable electricity to power a world of electric vehicles without using fossil fuels (natural gas, coal, etc)?  Solar?  Wind?  Hydroelectric? Nuclear? The generation capacity of the world will be strained to the breaking point in an attempt to "fuel" all those vehicles via electricity, at least until "fusion power" comes of age and is used for commercial production of electricity, but that is two or three decades away.
Secondly, the price of all electric vehicles and well as the sky-rocketing price of electricity once this all EV plan is enforced (which if electric vehicles are the only vehicles on the road will create extremely high electric demand $$$$$), the average person (those in the world who make wages similar to the average Thai) won't be driving.  Driving becomes the purvey of the rich and wealthy.  And I expect that's the plan.  Take the capabilities to drive and make them unaffordable for the masses.  Read the Agenda 2030 (the push for Electric Vehicles is part and parcel of the plan) and the Global Cities Initiative and that's pretty much the majority of governments are planning for the plebs. Maybe Ox carts will make a come-back.

5 minutes ago, Tradewind777 said:

Thailand needs to first work out it’s renewable energy plan before making such a bold step into EVs. If the cars need to be charged  by coal or gas fired power, this is not going to improve emissions to maintain the country compliant with the Paris agreement.

I am an EV owner (self converted) and I can say they are wonderful to own. For the country to progress the sector coupling of transport and power has to be aligned. Hydrogen is unsuitable for cars as it will cost 3.5x more to refuel them compared to EVs. Heavy transport is a different matter.

They're working on it.

 

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