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Bangkok – 15 May 2019 – SAIC Motor-CP Co., Ltd. and MG Sales (Thailand) Co., Ltd. as a manufacturer and distributor of MG cars in Thailand organized “EVolution of Automotive”, a thought-provoking seminar centered on readiness of Thailand in all aspects towards electric mobility particularly opportunities to shift Thailand’s automotive landscape with the use of battery electric vehicles (BEVs). Seven automotive experts and respected scholars from government agencies and private corporations unitedly illustrated progress, direction, and possibilities to enhance Thai automotive industry with production and distribution of vehicles equipped with advanced, alternative mobility technologies designed to uplift both environment and quality of life.

Mr. Pongsak Lertruedeewattanavong, Vice President of MG Sales (Thailand) Co., Ltd. began “Global communities today are prioritizing next-gen vehicles which are generally developed to alleviate escalating air pollution and enhance life quality of all citizens.  BEVs, to be specific, are recognized as eco-friendly vehicles as they do not emit carbon dioxide—a notorious cause of greenhouse effect and smog. The use of electric motor also means noise from vehicles will be notably decreased. Governments of many countries are promoting BEVs ownership and 1.26 million units were delivered last year or 74 percent higher than 2017. With this continuous delivery, 20 million units of EVs should be on streets across the globe by the end of next year.

“Thailand is now on a way to completely transform mobility landscape by phasing out fossil fuel vehicles and introducing next-gen vehicle platforms specifically hybrid vehicles (HEVs) and plug-in hybrids (PHEVs). The next promising step for Thai automotive society is BEVs which may be known by many consumers based on news or releases of them in Thailand as well as in global stage. Additionally, significant investments in BEVs, including supportive programs from the government, are not something far-fetched in terms of current progress. Some of privileges for eligible manufacturers under BOI’s funding programs are exemption of legal person tax as well as importing tariff for parts and components. BEVs assembled by these manufacturers are also entitled to a three-year special vehicle excise exemption period. Moreover, expansion of public chargers operated by both private and public sectors are usual nowadays as they are preparing for a notable increase of next-gen vehicles especially BEVs. All of these can be noted as accomplishment complementing a goal to cultivate a fruitful ecosystem of next-gen vehicles in Thailand,” elaborated Mr. Pongsak.  

MG took this joyous opportunity to present a special seminar entitled ‘EVolution of Automotive’ to properly lay a solid foundation for a major shift in Thai automotive industry and society at large so consumers are able to break their barriers or misconceptions and ready to embrace cutting-edge mobility trends by jointly opening a new chapter of automotive innovations alongside other involving parties. At the seminar, well-rounded information on direction, opinions, opportunities, and possibilities of BEVs in Thailand in years to come was meticulously presented to attendees by seven automotive experts and scholars from government agencies and private firms. The following is a list of honored guest speakers:  

Representatives of government agencies

• Mr. Siriruj Chulakaratana, Deputy Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Industry
• Dr. Janekrishna Kanatharana, Executive Vice President for Special Affairs, National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA)
• Mr. Adisak Rohitasune, Acting President, Thailand Automotive Institute (TAI)

Representatives of private corporations

• Dr. Prachin Eamlumnow, Chairman of the Executive Committee and CEO, Grand Prix

            International Public Company Limited

• Mr. Amorn Sapthaweekul, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Energy Absolute Public Company

    Limited

• Mr. Pu Jinhuan, Chief Engineer, Project Operation Department, PM Section, EV Platform,

    SAIC Motor Corporation

• Mr. Zhang Haibo, President, SAIC-CP Motor Co., Ltd. and MG Sales (Thailand) Co., Ltd.

“The brand MG has been active in Thailand for five years and we have delivered more than 50,000 vehicle units to customers nationwide. We are proud to say our achievements are resulted from kind supports from both public and private sectors. Our product development strategies are grounded on ‘4 Pillars’ philosophy implemented by SAIC Motor Corporation, a parent company of ours, namely 1) Intelligence connectivity – to redefine MG vehicles with intelligent connectivity features; 2) Electrification – to use electric motor as primary power source in vehicles; 3) Car Sharing; and 4) Globalization – to develop new products for consumers worldwide.  20 models of PHEVs, BEVs, and fuel cell vehicles (FCV) by SAIC are available for Chinese and international consumers and we are going to officially excite Thai automotive market in June 2019 with a local introduction of MG’s first commercially available BEV named ‘MG ZS EV’. It is an outstanding electric SUV with i-SMART intelligent connectivity system designed to attract young-gen drivers,” concluded Mr. Pongsak.