Thailand’s cabinet on Tuesday (Feb 22) approved tax incentives to promote a shift to electric vehicles (EVs), and to attract “high potential” foreigners to help boost the economy, the finance minister said.
The vehicle tax measures include reducing import duty this year and next by as much as 40 per cent for completely built EVs priced up to 2 million baht (S$83,115), and by 20 per cent for those priced between 2 million and 7 million baht.
The government will cut excise tax on imported EVs to 2 per cent from 8 per cent, which is expected to add 7,000 EVs in the first year, Finance Minister Arkhom Termpittayapaisith told a news conference.
The EV scheme for 2022-2025 was approved last week as part of a zero-emission vehicle policy and a goal of ensuring 30 per cent of Thailand’s total auto production are EVs by 2030.
Eligible car manufacturers will also receive subsidies of between 70,000 baht and 150,000 baht for each EV and 18,000 baht for electric motorcycles, Arkhom said.
We believe this tax incentives could be a turning point for EV 2-wheelers in Thailand as it reduces the strain on current motorcycle importers. It should reflect on the future pricing of EV 2-wheelers, making them more affordable to accelerate the EV adoption in the country.
According to the Electric Vehicles Association of Thailand, which Swag EV is a member of, the total registration of new EV motorcycles in 2021 is 3,673. This represents an average of 120% year-on-year growth from the 1,360 registrations in 2020 and the 791 registrations in 2019. This number is expected to hit more than 9,000 this year.
This will benefit EV manufacturers like Swag EV, who recently shifted their assembly operations locally to tap on the upcoming tax incentives and EV Package subsidy scheme and continually accelerate the growth of EV in Thailand.
For more information, please contact us at [email protected].
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Mr. Kawin Thangsupanich, secretary to the Minister of Energy, said the ministry has accelerated the implementation of measures to support the use of electric vehicles (EVs) as quickly as possible. The content that has been adjusted further and has been proposed to The Secretariat of the Cabinet (SCL), and it probably won’t take long from now on to add the agenda to the Cabinet.
Previously the measures has not yet been offered by The Cabinet because the working group wants to ensure the best subsidy package proposed, and has since adjusted the details in several ways, as well as amendments to allow the domestic industry to adjust stably.
A source from the Government House said the EV Package would take a week to complete the proposed agenda, and circulated to seek opinions from the Cabinet, which is expected to take 2 weeks, and at the latest by mid-February 2022. The electric motorcycle package (EV motorcycle) is suggested for vehicles with retail price of not more than 150,000 baht. A subsidy of 18,000 baht per car, both CKD and CBU in 2022-2025, with conditions to be a domestic production to offset vehicles in 2024 equivalent to the amount of imported CBU in 2022-2023. If necessary, the production time of offset production can be extended until 2025 by having to produce a ratio of 1 imported vehicle to 1.5 produced vehicles, and must choose to produce a vehicle from a particular car model that have been imported during the years 2022-2023 only.
As for the conditions of Zero Emission Vehicles (“ZEV”) motorcycle, it must be a lithium-ion battery or other type of battery that provides a higher specific power by weight, and has a battery capacity of 3 kWh (KWh) or more, or has a range of 75 kilometers per charge according to WMTC (World Motorcycle Test cycle) standards from Class 1 or higher and must use tires that comply with TIS 2720-2560 (UN Reg.75) or higher (UN Reg.75).
In addition, the vehicle must be able to drive to a maximum speed of at least 45 kilometers per hour while having a gross vehicle weight as specified by the manufacturer, and driven continuously for not less than 30 minutes. It must also pass the safety test of electric motorcycles according to the industrial product standard No. TIS. 2952-2561 (UN Reg.136) or higher than 9, etc.
Swag EV is looking forward to the tremendous support from the Thai government to push for EV adoption. We are excited to work together with the government on the subsidy schemes to transform Thailand into an EV friendly hub! For more information of our models under the EV Motorcycle Package, please contact us at [email protected].
Source: https://www.bangkokbiznews.com/business/986693
]]>Launched recently in Thailand in January of 2020, Swag EV, or Supreme Wagon Automotive Group Electric Vehicle, is a producer of eco-friendly motorcycles with stylish, modern design. Swag electric motorcycles are powered with removable batteries that can be plugged into any electric socket, making them a highly adoptable product. It only takes between approximately three hours to fully charge the Samsung battery which Swag electric motorcycles use, at which point it will be ready to cover a distance of up to 80-90 kilometres.
Two models of the EV are currently available in Bangkok now, Type S, which retails at 62,900 baht, and Type X, which goes for 65,900 baht—about 10,000 to 20,000 baht more expensive than new most petrol-powered bikes. In both Swag EV models, the 1750W-2020W brushless hub-motors are developed by Bosch, a trusted name in the German automotive industry. The electric bikes’ detachable 60-volt 26 AH battery is also made by Samsung, another global leader in technology.
Swag EV comes to us from a country known as being Southeast Asia’s cleanest and most sustainable city, Singapore, and the story is pretty much the same as any brand of electric motorcycles in the world: an answer to smarter and cleaner means of personal mobility that can be embraced by a population large enough to make a difference.
According to a Research Center in Thailand, Thailand has the highest motorbike use in the world, with nearly 90 per cent of households owning at least one motorbike. Our country has up to 20 million registered motorbikes and possibly a million more unregistered. Study shows that an estimated of that two million new bikes are sold in Thailand annually. Motorbikes are, of course, a cost-efficient and effective way for the population to get around the jammed roads of sprawling cities like Bangkok. However, with nearly no accessible alternative to petrol-powered bikes until now, motorcycles have remained a huge and only growing contributor to air pollution. And while cars are still the biggest culprits of carbon dioxide emission and PM2.5 on our roads, EVs are a less viable solution in the car sector because of the limited number of people who will be able to afford them.
With Swag and future electric scooters of the like, we should hope to follow the progression of countries like Taiwan, which have mainstream use of electric motorbikes in place. Every 10g of CO2/km is released if an electric motorcycle is charged on-grid in Thailand compared to the 50g of CO2/km which is released in local air pollutants (2.5PM) as well as heat and noise pollution. Within a few years Swag could save the same amount of CO2 that 11 million trees and counting consume yearly.
Swag EV will launch a third model, the Type-V, soon. For more information, visit swagev.com.
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Swag electric vehicles had their official launch on the 16th January 2020. The event was held at Siam Square One, where the Swag showroom is located. The event which brought in a fun and entertaining night for VIP’s and press to see first hand what these two wheeled eco-friendly electric vehicles has to offer.
Swag was founded in Singapore from the idea of introducing smart vehicles for city use. Electric vehicles are the future mode of transportation. Not only are they sustainable and beneficial to the environment by reducing our carbon dioxide emissions, which overall lowers our carbon footprint. But they cost less in maintenance fees and use less materials. Swag aims to become the leader of electric motorcycles in Southeast Asia and to drive green mobility for urbanites sustainably.
Mr. Janson Chen, Executive Director of Swag, said, “The future of Electric Mobility is here and we are honoured to officially launch our products and services in Thailand. Swag was created on the idea of wanting to bring a smarter, better mobility to urban life without the consequences of damaging the environment. We are not just a motorcycle manufacturer as our main focus lies on cutting edge IOT technologies and creative branding collaboration with designers and celebrities. We strongly believe that the EV industry is growing rapidly in South East Asia and we wish to position ourselves as one of the most important players”
The launch was also joined by Toni Rakkaen and Baifern – Pimchanok Luevisadpaibul, together with motorcycle expert and motorsport event emcee John Rider – Ariyapong Charoensuk
The event was warmly attended by honorable guests and members of the press who came to congratulate Swag on its official launch in Thailand and to experience the flagship models, Type-X and Type-S electric motorcycles. The highlight of the event was a special show by Malaysian violinist Mr. Dennis Lau who serenaded the guests with his beautiful music.
The surprise scene was the debut of the Type-V motorcycle from Swag, which was the first prototype unveiled for the first time in Thailand. The guests were excited to witness the launch of the Type-V in person, which will be available for pre-order by the end of 2020.
Actor Toni Rakkaen said, “I love travelling, so I feel that the vehicle that I choose is as important as the journey. For Swag EV, I can ride it on a long-haul trip. I love well-designed products and the motorcycle that I choose must look nice because it’s something I’ll be looking at all the time. I like the Swag EV Type-X because of its straightforward and subtle design.”
Actress Baifern – Pimchanok Luevisadpaibul shared, “I usually take the BTS because it is convenient. I am glad that more and more people are turning to EVs because it reduces CO2 emissions. EVs are an interesting alternative as they do not harm the environment. With the PM2.5 situation, we should start with ourselves and our small changes can help make the world and society a better place.”
Motorcycle expert John Rider – Ariyapong Charoensuk said, “I always use a motorcycle because it is convenient and it’s faster in traffic. I love the specifications of Swag EV because they use Bosch motors, while the battery, which is very important, is made by Samsung, a famous battery brand. The prices are also very reasonable, and the motorcycles are registered, so I think they are very interesting choices.”
Swag has rolled out two flagship models namely Type-S and Type-X. The1750W – 2020W brushless hub-motors are developed by Bosch, a leader in automobile technology from Germany, delivering impressive acceleration. The motorcycles also come with a detachable 60-volt 26 AH battery from Samsung. Swag electric motorcycles are equipped with high-performance lithium-ion batteries as well as other modern technologies developed for lightweight yet powerful electric motorcycles. Both models are now available at Swag first showroom in Thailand on the 2nd floor of Siam Square One. The Type-S model is 62,900 baht and the Type-X model is 65,900 baht.
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During the event, Swag’s Executive Director Janson Chen and Grab’s Head of Two Wheels Maythinee Anavachkul invited the lucky drivers who are given the opportunity to ride the Swag bikes for the year long period to come and learn more about the electric vehicles.
Swag’s technician team held a quick training of the basic necessities of the bike.
The upcoming project between Swag x Grab will be a year long partnership between the two Singaporean companies. Swag is proud to be sponsoring Grab with electric motorcycles to help push the use of electric motorcycles. Helping to clean up the pollution of Bangkok city and to spread the awareness of different alternatives to petrol motorcycles.
Turning to EV can not only reduce carbon emissions but to lower the gas expenses which are the main costs of the drivers. Grab Food Delivery also helps reduce the burden of the spare parts of motorcycles, yearly maintenance costs from the long-term development plan.
Swag and Grab have planned together to expand the project to different zones and to help expand the impact and create change when it comes to climate change.
The main event will be held in September 2020. Due to COVID-19 there has been a delay.
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