PBS JULY 18
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BUSINESS SUPPLEMENT<br />
BMW CONSIDERS<br />
THAILAND FOR<br />
ELECTRIC MOTORBIKES<br />
Beautifully Appointed Warehouses<br />
On Huay Yai ( Main Road )<br />
The local subsidiary of BMW,<br />
(BMW Group Thailand), is looking<br />
at the possibility of manufacturing<br />
its new C evolutionelectric motorbikes<br />
in the Kingdom. Known fully<br />
as the C evolution maxi scooter, it<br />
has quite a high price tag in international<br />
markets with retail prices in<br />
the U.S. hitting US$13,750, equivalent<br />
to approximately 440,000 Thai<br />
Baht.<br />
It uses BMW’s latest battery<br />
modules that give it a range of up to<br />
160 km on a single charge, and provides<br />
enough power for the vehicle<br />
to reach 130 km per hour.<br />
The C evolution will be tested<br />
on Thai roads during this year<br />
and its potential market assessed.<br />
Whilst the C evolution is being considered,<br />
BMW has already said that<br />
it will produce plug in hybrid electric<br />
vehicles, mainly cars, at its plant in<br />
Rayong and has said that it will invest<br />
400 million baht in the project<br />
subject to BOI investment privileges<br />
being granted. It has also suggested<br />
that the batteries for plug in<br />
hybrid vehicles will be produced at<br />
the same site.<br />
are part of a new hot market. A total<br />
of 3511 hybrid cars were sold in the<br />
first four months of this year representing<br />
an impressive <strong>18</strong> per cent<br />
of BMW’s total overall car market in<br />
Thailand.<br />
Battery production will support<br />
both the motorcycle and car markets.<br />
The C evolution maxi scooter<br />
uses exactly the same batteries<br />
that are found in the latest BMW i3<br />
car.<br />
Overall, the hybrid and electric<br />
vehicle battery market is expected<br />
to be a hard fought one with other<br />
manufacturers such as Tesla also<br />
engaging in the manufacture of<br />
batteries to both support its vehicle<br />
range and also to become a leader<br />
in the field to supply other car makers.<br />
Indeed Tesla was a forerunner<br />
in manufacturing batteries, investing<br />
a lot of money into new manufacturing<br />
plants some 2 years ago.<br />
Yet, the battleground is likely to get<br />
more crowded as more entrants enter<br />
the market such as Volvo, Mercedes,<br />
Ford and Toyota.<br />
In addition, new technologies<br />
will likely become more rapidly<br />
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BMW Group Thailand’s president<br />
Christian Wiedmann was<br />
quoted as saying, “We are waiting<br />
for the BoI to consider our project,<br />
and we are studying the feasibility<br />
for the battery EV scheme,” adding<br />
“Then we will evaluate whether to<br />
join the project or not.”<br />
Plug in hybrid vehicle sales<br />
have soared by 20 per cent over<br />
the last year,suggesting that they<br />
available to the market such<br />
that prices of finished products<br />
might become more affordable.<br />
Mr. Wiedmann was also quoted<br />
as saying, “Our new battery production<br />
is coming along as planned.”<br />
BMW expects to start manufacturing<br />
batteries at its Rayong factory<br />
in 2019 and more information<br />
about the investment in the plant<br />
will emerge by the end of this summer.<br />
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