Electric vehicle manufacturers from China are now starting to grow more rapidly. Chinese manufacturers are even reportedly starting to dominate the electric car market in Thailand.
Great Wall Motor China is reported to have become the most famous electric vehicle manufacturer in the land of the white elephant, GWM is known to have sold more than 2,000 cars to the Thai people, and that’s not all because there are still 3,000 customers who are currently pivoting on electric cars from GWM.
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This record is indeed very surprising considering that Great Wall Motor China only entered Thailand last year. Another popular Chinese brand among Thai people is SAIC Motor, which has been selling MG electric cars since last year.
According to reports, to date there are 4,500 MG electric cars on the road in Thailand. Meanwhile, The Federation of Thai Industries predicts that there will be more than 10,000 electric cars sold in Thailand this year.
The widespread use of electric cars in Thailand is due to a subsidy from the government, which makes the price of electric cars more affordable for the public. The subsidies are aimed at stimulating demand for green cars and encouraging car manufacturers to produce them locally.
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The Thai government is known to want the electric car segment to contribute 30% of Thailand’s total car production by 2030. To achieve this target, the government offers buyers a discount of 150,000 Baht or equivalent to Rp. 62.6 million for each new electric car. The Thai government has even lowered the electric car tax from 8% to 2%.
Deputy chairman of the Thai vehicle association, Surapong Paisitpatanapong said that many Japanese, European and American manufacturers had come to talk about investment in electric vehicle manufacturing. However, they are not as aggressive as Chinese manufacturers who immediately decide to deal.
“I think Japanese brands are still enjoying increased sales of hybrid EVs, and they can wait until demand increases substantially before they start producing pure EVs,” added Surapong.
On the other hand, Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha has also set a target for Thailand to become a big player in the electric car industry. He said it was time for Thailand to produce its own electric car to keep up with the high demand for electric cars.
