This document discusses the potential and challenges of e-mobility in Thailand. It notes that e-mobility can be successful in Thailand if it serves the growing demand for sustainable mobility and triggers a paradigm shift in Thailand's transport and energy systems. However, this depends on how the e-mobility industry positions itself in Thailand. The document outlines Thailand's rapid growth in vehicle ownership and increasing transportation challenges. It argues that e-mobility could drive a paradigm shift through flexible energy sources and synergies with alternative electricity production.

1. Peraphan Jittrapirom Dr. techn.
Office of Industrial Affairs, Ministry of Industry
The Association of Thai Professionals in European Region
email: peraphan.jittrapirom@gmail.com
1
Challenges and Potential of e-mobility in
Thailand’s transport future
20th October 2015

2. • E-mobility can be successful in Thailand if it seeks to
serve the growing demand for sustainable mobility
• It can even trigger a paradigm shift in Thailand’s
transport and energy systems
• This depends on how e-mobility industry positions
itself in Thailand.
Takeaway messages
2

3. Content
3
1. Thailand’s transport system development
2. Potential and Challenge of E-mobility in Thailand
3. Discussion

4. Non-motorised period (- 1900)
4
Source: (MOD, 2011) and (Sattrapai, 2011) , http://news.autoyim.com

5. Motorised period (1900 - )
5
Source: http://www.thairath.co.th, haneen.igetweb.com

6. Public Transport (1887- )
6
Source: www.thaiheritage.net atcloud.com; news.sanook.com; http://www.matichon.co.th; http://www.oknation.net/(Sattrapai, 2011); http://www.matichon.co.th;

7. 7
%oftotaltrips
0
25
50
75
100
Year
1800 1900 1950 2000
50%
30%
10%
3%
7%
10%
90%
20%
75%
5%
10%
5%
55%
15%
15%
A typical mode share of trips within an Urban area in
Thailand

8. Rapid growth of vehicle ownership
8
Vehicle per 1000 people for Chiang Mai city (2nd Biggest city)
Source: Statistic office of Chiang Mai city

9. What has driven this exponential growth ?
9
Behaviour Desire
Infrastructure
Society
Policy
Needs
Value Individual

10. Interactions between different entities within the system
10
Behaviour
Desire
Infrastructure
Society
Value
Individual
Policy
Needs
Reinforced feedbacks

11. Consequences
11
• Severe congestion “Bangkok syndrome”
• Ineffective use of time (est. 2 hr daily
travel time in Bangkok)
• Pollution / Stress / Sickness /
• Insufficient use of energy (Transport
sectors consumes over 35%* of national
energy) *2014

12. • High reliance on import energy
- Security /Drain of economy (13% of GDP)
• Transport sector highly dependent of oil
- Other: LPG 3% NPG 1%
Government seek to address energy problems
12SOURCE: Dede 2014 and Land transport 2015
47%
53%
Oil
&
Petroleum
Other
85%
15%
Import
Domestic
Type of Final Energy
consumption
(63,978 ktoe)
Source of Oil
(ca. 1m barrel/day)
66%
34%
Transport
Other
Oil use
(ca. 1m barrel/day)
96%
4%
Diesel & Benzin
Other
Vehicle by fuel
(36 m. vehicle)

13. E-mobility
13
• First e-car (1834);
"rechargeable" battery (1859)
• More reliable and easy to
operate than petrol car
• Killed by electric ignition & the
mass production of Ford-T
• Rises since 2008 due to
concerns in oil price, oil
supply, and CO2 reduction
• 3,310 (0.01%) e-vehicle
53,751 (0.16%) hybrid
Thailand , mostly motorcycle
Source: www.autoblog.com; http://gajitz.com/; www.extremetech.com

14. E-mobility in Thailand
14
• Began around 2010s
• Metropolitan Electricity Authority
(MEA) has been running pilot
projects (e.g. charging station, e-car,
and e-bus) since 2013
• Few models
• 2014: e-vehicle 3,310 (0.01%)
hybrid 53,751 (0.16%),
mostly motorcycle
MEA; www.gpsiamshop.com

15. E-mobility - Potential in Thailand
15
Opportunity
• High motorised vehicle
dependency
• Government want to cut oil
dependency
• New veh. excise tax (2016)
and 50% annual veh. tax
• Large automobile industry -
reduce veh. costs
Challenge
• Drive the country
paradigm shift in
transport and energy
systems

16. How e-mobility can drive paradigm-shift
16
(1) Implement as part of sustainable transport measures.
- Flexible energy source location allows e-mobility to be
coupled with other transport measures, such as parking
management, to change mobility behaviour
Equidistance parking organisation (Knoflacher,2007)

17. Equidistance parking (Knoflacher,2007)
17www.greencarreports.com; urdesign.it

18. Benefit of equidistance parking
18
Indicator Individual parking Common garage
Area use (direct) 10m2 < 10m2 depends on No. of
garage levels
Area use (indirect) > 10m2 < 10m2
Access road 100% < 30%
Accident risk all streets < 30% of streets
Air pollution emission all streets < 30%
Noise emission all streets < 30%
Infrastructure network 100% < 55%
Neighbourhood unpleasant stimulating
Local shops can not exist appear
(Knoflacher,2007)

19. How e-mobility can drive paradigm-shift
19
(2) Synergy with alternative electricity production can
achieve a win-win, such as district solar plant or Waste-to-
Energy incinerator. Break away from current petroleum-
based electricity system
California www.designnews.com;evobsession.com

20. How e-mobility can drive paradigm-shift
20
It should not, and must not, seek to replace petrol car in
a like-for-like manner
- difficult in short run but will lead to a sustainable
business model
Can you spot the differences ?

21. Replacing car with e-car will only delay ‘problems’
21
EmissionIndex
(BaselineYear0=1)
0
1
2
3
Year
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
Petrol vehicle
E-vehicle with
-30% emission
E-vehicle with
-50% emission
• Assume constant annual inc. of 5% and same No. of vehicle
• Adoption of e-vehicle saves 7-14 yr, depends on their emission
• Similar pattern for energy consumption

22. Quick-win for e-mobility in Thailand
22 www.siamfishing.com
Public buses Freight transport
Taxi

23. (re) Design future with mobility
23 http://www.computerhistory.org/atchm/where-to-a-history-of-autonomous-vehicles/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Futurama_(New_York_World%27s_Fair)
Futurama

24. Benefits
24
• Helps to penetrate saturated market
• Creates conditions favourable to e-vehicle
• Difficult in short run but will lead to a sustainable
business model that contributes positively to
environment
• Avoid economic cycle of boom and bust

25. • E-mobility can be successful in Thailand if it seeks to
serve the emerging mobility need
• It can even trigger a paradigm shift in Thailand’s
transport and energy systems
• This depends on how e-mobility industry position
itself in Thailand.
Takeaway messages
25