Thailand and South Korea have announced a joint project for the development of electric buses. The project, which will be led by Korean automaker Edison Motors, involves 11 organizations from both countries. Thai players include the Bangkok Mass Transit Authority, the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand and King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi, where the bus is being tested.
When the systems have all been fully tested, the bus which uses an LG Chem battery, will be able to run 200 kilometers on a single charge. In particular, the project will test if the all-electric bus is suitable for the hot climate and traffic congestion of Bangkok. King Mongkut’s University of Technology is working on traffic data collection, standards, Energy consumption and battery capacity with Edison’s electric bus.
The results will be shared with the Bangkok Mass Transit Authority and the Ministry of Transport there, and will be used for future electric bus purchases by the government. The Thai government plans to bid on 35 electric buses in the near future, and Edison will be allowed to join the bidding.
Thailand is the biggest exporter of cars in the ASEAN region. The development of electric vehicles is seen as a strategic goal by the Thai government. The government aims to attract Korean battery makers, LG Chem and Samsung SDI, to help build the complete chain of electric vehicles in Thailand, from car assembly, to key parts of EVs such as battery and motors.
(Source: The Nation)
