Charging-station network to drive Thailand’s future
Thailand will be home to a large network of public charging stations for electric and hybrid vehicles following an agreement between major industry groups. A memorandum of understanding (MoU) has been signed between BMW Group Thailand, Polytechnology Co, Greenlots, Central Group and AP (Thailand) PCL to further their commitment to the development and adoption of electric mobility in Thailand.
The agreement will see the launch of ChargeNow – the world’s largest network of public charging stations for electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids of any make and model – in Thailand, with 50 stations nationwide during an initial network preparation phase.
Stefan Teuchert, president of BMW Group Thailandm said: “The launch of ChargeNow in Thailand marks yet another major step forward as we work towards the vision of a truly sustainable future.
“With the introduction of service that facilitates and simplifies the charging process, we hope to spark greater interest in these automobiles of the future among Thai consumers, while also strengthening efforts to drive sustainable national development with electric mobility innovations.”
Polytechnology and Greenlots are leading providers of electric vehicle charging solutions, specialising in open standards, cloud-based platforms and mobile applications.
Greenlots has installed 150 charging stations at more than 70 locations across Singapore. In Thailand, Greenlots has joined forces with Polytechnology to offer up to 50 charging stations for plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEV) and electric vehicles (EV) during the initial phase.
Polytechnology president Narratchai Leeraphante said: “We are very pleased to work together with all pioneering partners who recognise the importance of sustainable growth and to mutually create electric society for years to come.”
The technology involved will be a two-way charger compatible with both AC Type I & Type II vehicles, covering a range of makes and models.
To provide prime locations for ChargeNow, the MoU involves Central Group, which has a network of more 30 premium shopping centres.
Isareit Chirathivat, senior vice-president of Central Pattana, said: “It is our great pleasure to become one of the founding partners of ChargeNow, offering easy access to charging points starting first with 13 locations nationwide, including CentralWorld, Central Embassy, Central Chidlom, as well as CentralPlaza, CentralFestival, and Robinson.”
On the residential property side, Vittakarn Chandavimol, chief of business group-condominium for AP (Thailand), said: “ChargeNow is an entirely new aspect of modern living in the electric community, whose target is to achieve a low-carbon environment. We are pleased to team up with other pioneering partners of ChargeNow to create a better living space for the next decades.”
ChargeNow has more than 65,000 public charging outlets for electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles in 27 countries.
In Thailand, ChargeNow stations will be displayed through a smartphone app or website. In most cases, customers will be able to see whether the charging station is available or in use. Customers will be able to use a special ChargeNow card and will be billed at the end of the month.
ChargeNow will be open for pre-registration to PHEV and EV owners of any make and model with an AC Type 1 (SAE J1772) or Type 2 (IEC 62196) charging socket. Pre-registration details will be announced during the third quarter of this year.
