From now on, the Thai automotive industry will move towards advancing technology driven by electricity. The Ministry of Industry aims to increase electric car production to 30 percent of the total car production over 10 years and will launch measures to encourage people to exchange their old cars for new electric vehicles.
Industry Minister Suriya Juangroongruangkit told the “New Generation of Automotives” seminar this week, about the Thai electric vehicle industry’s development plan. The short-term goal is to produce more than 60,000-110,000 government vehicles, public buses, electric taxi motorcycles and other personal vehicles. The medium-term goal is to produce about 300,000 ECO electric vehicles (EVs) and Smart City buses. The immediate goal is to produce 750,000 EVs.
The Ministry of Industry will accelerate an improvement in the quality of electric vehicles and study guidelines for continual industry development in order to promote the recycling of materials according to the concept of a circular economy, to achieve a systematic vehicle management mechanism.
The Ministry of Industry will offer tax incentives for individuals and companies to exchange their old cars for new cars or electric vehicles. The scheme will apply to used cars 15 years old or older and will boost sales of new cars and e-vehicles and reduce pollution. The scheme is being discussed by the Ministry of Industry, private agencies and related agencies. (NNT)