Thailand's 2017 International Motor Expo has begun, with several car makers putting their electric vehicles (EV) on display, though they acknowledge the local EV market will take many years to develop.
Nissan unveiled its best-selling EV model, Leaf, for the first time in Thailand after the Japanese car maker debuted the second iteration of the model in Tokyo in early September, priced at ¥3.15 million (918,000 baht), which includes a government subsidy.
The Leaf EV has sold 291,000 units globally.
Antoine Barthes, president of Nissan Motor Thailand, said the company is testing the waters in Thailand, gauging consumer interest in EVs. But bookings are not available yet and an exact price has yet to be set.
"If you ask Thais to drive EVs today, they will say no. But if you try to understand their car usage and other complications in the market, the answer could eventually be yes," he said.
The Thai market is likely to have a smooth transition from cars with internal combustion engines to EVs in the near future, said Mr Barthes.
"Nissan cannot provide an exact timeline for when the Leaf EV will be sold locally, although the company aims to meet any future market expectations," he said.
Yontrakit Kia Motor Co, an importer and distributor of Korean cars, has also introduced its Soul EV at the auto show, being offered for 2.3 million baht, or around 1 million baht higher than the sales tag in South Korea, which boasts a government subsidy.
The company's marketing manager, Rosesanant Punithipandkul, said because of the high price, the Soul EV is aimed at high-end buyers who really want to try driving EVs. Yontrakit aims to sell at least five cars per month in Thailand.
At present, imported EVs are subject to a customs duty of 80%, on top of an excise tax of 10%, based on CO2 emissions, plus an interior tax of 10% and value-added tax of 7%.
In contrast, locally made EVs will enjoy a 2-12% excise tax break, based on the EV platform, once each car maker applies for privileges from the Board of Investment (BoI).
Toyota has already been granted investment incentives for the hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) scheme.
Toyota already unveiled the new CH-R, a mid-sized sport utility vehicle (SUV), at the auto show.
The CH-R will come in both petrol engine and hybrid platforms, with prices below 1 million and 1.2 million baht, respectively.
Toyota said the CH-R will be produced at its plant in Chachoengsao province.
Morikazu Chokki, president and chief executive of Mitsubishi Motors Thailand, said the company is conducting a feasibility study on applying BoI privileges for a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) scheme.
The deadline for those privileges is due to expire at the end of next year.
"Mitsubishi's PHEV is the Outlander SUV, which is popular in Japan, Europe, China and the US," he said.
"It will be a long-term roadmap for PHEVs in Thailand and Mitsubishi needs time to disclose its future plans."
The Thailand International Motor Expo, titled "New Age Vehicles … A Distant Dream Come True", is being held by Inter-Media Consultant Co from Nov 30 to Dec 11 at Impact Muang Thong Thani.
About 40,000 cars are forecast to be booked during the event, up 23% from the previous year, while big bike bookings could reach 7,000 motorcycles, down 12% from the previous year.
Some 1.5 million visitors are expected to join the 12-day auto show, generating 50 billion baht.
