Electricity billionaire Somphote Ahunai is building the Mine Mobility , the first passenger electric car made in Thailand.
Thailand’s second-biggest provider electricity Energy Absolute has formed an EV subsidiary, Mine Mobility, and unveiled its first passenger electric car at this year’s Bangkok Motor show. Now the company has already received more than 4,500 orders.
Priced at around 38,000 USD, its cheaper than a comparable Kia Soul or Nissan Leaf electric car. According to the Mine Mobility, their five-seat hatchback has a range of around 200 kilometres (124 miles).
Enough to convince a group of five taxi unions to order 3,500 cars for the megacity of Bangkok. According to Bloomberg, the cab companies chose Mine Mobility electric cars because they could promise the earliest delivery.
Increasing competition, the arrival of charging stations and lower production costs will drive down the price of an electric vehicle (EV) to a more affordable 1 million baht within 3-5 years, says Yossapong Laoonual, president of the Electric Vehicle Association of Thailand.
Last week the EVAT signed a memorandum of understanding with partner associations in Asean — the Electric Vehicle Association of Malaysia, the Electric Vehicle Association of the Philippines and the Electric Vehicle Association of Singapore — to increase regional cooperation in the development of EVs in Southeast Asia.
