Thailand’s state-owned Metropolitan Electricity Authority (MEA) plans to lower the electricity price for electric vehicle (EV) charging services providers, aiming to make charging facilities more available to the public, as reported by Bangkok Post on December 8. The preferential policy is expected to take effect from January 1 next year, citing Jaturong Suriyasasin, deputy governor of MEA. The participant charging pile companies will enjoy a wholesale price of electricity at THB2.6 per kilowatt-hour (KWh) for the first two years, and the price would return to the regular rate in the third year. Notably, the discounted wholesale price is only available between 10 PM to 9 AM to avoid peak hours, while MEA set the regular price at THB4.6 per KWh for EV charging between 9 AM and 10 PM.

The plan providing a subsidized price will cost MEA THB30m of budget and it expects the spending to bring about 100 additional charging sites next year. EV drivers could also benefit from the scheme as the retail prices would be lowered to less than THB7.5 per KWh on average, a rate currently adopted by other EV charging services providers, according to Jaturong. The Thai government resolves to revitalize the automobile industry disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, which experienced a 21.4% YoY slash in sales in 2020. As the automobile hub among the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the country also aims to become an EV hub in this area by 2035. For that, Thailand targeted an accumulated EV production at 1.05m units by 2025, 6.22m units by 2030, and 18.41m units by 2035. It also adjusted the planned proportion of EV production in overall auto output for 2030 from 30% to 50%.

Sources:

https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/2228319/initiative-to-develop-ev-ecosystem

https://thethaiger.com/hot-news/transport/the-latest-on-ev-production-in-thailand

https://www.marklines.com/en/news/249158

https://www.marklines.com/en/report/rep2224_202111