The EGAT’s goal for motorcycle taxi riders in Bang Kruai district, Nonthaburi province, is to encourage a switch to 51 pilot electric motorcycles. They can run for 100 kilometers on a single charge at a maximum speed of more than 80 kilometers per hour, reported the National News Bureau of Thailand (NNT).
The electric motorbike taxis are equipped with a GPS system to ensure safety and build confidence among passengers. It is expected that the service will be available by the end of 2020.
The EGAT has also developed two electric boats which are driven by electric power from 214 kWh lithium-ion batteries for a distance of 60 kilometers on a single charge. The air conditioner system in the passenger area has been designed to use electric power from solar cells installed on the roof. Each boat can carry up to 80 passengers. During the first phase, their progress is being studied to assess the boats’ performance by using them on the EGAT’s missions.
For electric vehicle development, the EGAT and the National Science and Technology Development Agency has developed an EV Kit to transform old cars into electric vehicles that can run for 200 kilometers on a single charge with the highest speed being more than 160 kilometers per hour. The cost of modification, excluding battery, is about 200,000 THB (6,300 USD) per vehicle. At present, training and knowledge dissemination for entrepreneurs is being prepared.
