A couple of weeks ago, the Automotive Focus Group (AFG) invited Wanchai Meesiri, the Engineering and Service Director of Vera Automotive, to present his Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) to the members,
This project has been developing for the last five years designing everything including the different types of chargers, before settling on the Euro Type 2 plug.
Having the electric side of things under control, they then set about finding a manufacturer in Thailand who could give them a rolling platform for their BEV hardware, including induction electric motors and Lithium-ion batteries.
The Thai government expressed interest in BEV’s foretelling 1.2 million on the roads by 2036, with world figures showing an annual increase of 43 percent. But at last count in Thailand there were only 52 registered.
Vera continued to look for a local supplier of rolling platforms but could not get one. To continue with the Vera project, contact was made with China and Geely Automotive who agreed to supply rolling chassis and modify their basic platform to take the two batteries, cabling and drive shafts for the BEV. Ten prototypes have been built and these are being examined now. However, K. Wanchai was cool on questions regarding governmental assistance. China is the major player in the BEV stakes planning to have 5 million BEV’s on the road by 2020.
