Thailand is moving towards adopting a common standard for its electric vehicle (EV) recharging infrastructure, a move which would make facilities more widely available for individual motorists.
According to local reports, a total of 80 recharging stations have been installed in Thailand since 2016 by 11 different operators, including state owned and private companies, supported by grants made available by the state owned Energy Conservation Fund. But the various networks use different standards designed to support different types and brands of vehicles which is seen as hindering the segment's overall growth potential.
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As part of a trial scheduled to begin early next year, recharging operators will begin integrating their different charging systems into a single standard using radio frequency identification technology.
The move is supported by the Electric Vehicle Association of Thailand (EVAT), with its president Krisda Utamote telling reporters this week "we want EV charging outlets to be run under a single standard. They need to be managed on the same platform and a mobile application should be developed for all motorists to use".
Utamote added "different EV types from China, Japan and Europe should be able to use the same recharging platform similar to the way different debit cardholders withdraw money from ATMs and motorists fill their cars at petrol stations".
The Thai government is currently looking into ways of bringing down the cost of electric vehicles by reducing duty on imported parts used to assemble EVs in the country. Other measures are also expected to be introduced to reduce prices, including excise tax incentives.
The government wants to establish a regional production base for EVs, accounting for around 30% of the 2.5m vehicles projected to be produced in the country by 2030.
