Thailand Post goes electric with help from Banpu

The project aims to benefit from more than 100 electric postal vehicles within 4 years and to push forward the “Smart Cities” development in Thailand.
“Road transport is a major contributor to greenhouse gases and adds to the problem of concentrated particulate matter (PM 2.5),” notes Kalong Subsaart, Thailand Post's senior executive vice president (Regional Operation). 
Banpu has delivered the electric-powered vehicles to Thailand Post to be used in the testing phase. They include electric vans with a driving range of 250-300 kilometres and a load-carrying capacity of between 300 and 700 kilograms. They will first be used in Pathum Thani’s Khlong Luang District. In addition, electric motorcycles with a range of 60-80 km and capable of carrying 30-80 kg of post are being tested in Bangkok's Samsen Nai area.

The project is a reflection of both organisations’ determination to develop clean energy technology in order to support the plans for zero air pollution, as well as to promote efficient fuel usage.
“Our experiments show that the electric vehicles save energy and reduce both costs of maintenance and fuel consumption. Our pilot electric vans took only 4-6 hours to charge, while the electric motorcycles took just 2 hours. Their fully-charged motors can be used for several days depending on the distance travelled,” Kalong said.
“Thailand Post will also initiate research and development projects to promote energy conservation in postal transportation. We have embarked on providing suitable locations to install charging stations for electric vehicles in order to respond to the long-term plan to create maximum energy efficiency for the users. This latest partnership with Banpu has emphasized our readiness to be a national backbone of logistics, driving the digital economy and e-commerce business of Thailand, as well as pushing forward ‘Smart City’ development in the country,” Kalong added.
Banpu is committed to expanding its business in strict alignment with Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) principles,” added James Rama Phataminviphas, chief executive of Banpu Infinergy.

“This collaboration with Thailand Post on the flagship pilot project will help stimulate and encourage all sectors to pay more attention to the usage of clean energy, especially green vehicles to help conserve energy and to reduce air pollution in the long run. Banpu has developed the electric vehicle business on the concept of ‘Mobility as a Service’. We offer comprehensive solutions and one-stop services from consultation, understanding of usage needs and procurement of vehicles suitable for the operation of each organization, a top-quality after-sales service as well as system integration of hardware and digital technologies, such as mobile applications for better efficiency in after-sales services.”
“We are dedicated to respond to business operations in the digital age. To be a trusted partner of Thailand Post is an indication of Banpu’s strength and business potentiality. We have worked closely with Thailand Post to select electric vehicles that are suitable for the distribution of postage and parcel items. We focused on using the efficiency management technology that displays the transport results, the engine performance, and the real-time notifications,” he said.