The Electric Vehicle Association of Thailand (EVAT) was established through collaboration between the academic and automotive industrial sector in 2015. On the occasion that EVAT has welcomed Khun Krisda Utamote as the new president, the organizer of Automotive Manufacturing has visited EVAT’s office to congratulate as well as to learn more about the association’s vision on electric vehicles, and the approaches Thai auto part makers can adopt in response to the direction of global automotive industry.
“At the end of 2019, Thailand was the 11th largest car manufacturer in the world where the ratio of vehicles sold domestically and export was approximately 50:50. Traditional cars will not be gone completely in the future, but will likely be reduced in number while xEV expands. Some of the parts such as brake discs or brake pads can still be used in both types of vehicles, but some including engines may no longer be required and this could lead to challenges for Thai parts makers. However, Thailand still needs to import battery cells for xEV thus local manufacturers should find new opportunities in the new industries that can be compatible with their existing machineries and processes. They should keep a close watch on new technologies and alternative materials that could be in high demand in the future.
