Looking Forward to an Electric Bangkok
We should all be looking forward to the growth of electric vehicles in Bangkok. Not so much for the noise reduction as for the cleaner air
The air pollution problem has been a part of Bangkok life for ages. For years I thought Bangkok was only crawling in the right direction with the expansion of the MRT and BTS Skytrain. But recently, there’s been a glimmer of hope on the horizon. An electric water taxi made the headlines and was being tested on the Chao Phraya River and the Klong Saen Saep. Earlier this year, the Klong Saen Saep route of Bangkapi-Minburi started running electric water taxis.
There has also been some murmuring about investing in a fleet of electric buses for Bangkok. There are currently 118 EV buses operating in the city, with plans to launch two EV bus pilot programs before the end of the year (fingers crossed).
Disappointing EV Car Sales
The one major disappointment has been EV car sales. At the beginning of the year, there were slightly more than 11,000 EV vehicles registered in Bangkok. This includes cars, motorbikes, tuk-tuks, trucks, and buses. A survey blamed the low number of vehicles on the lack of charging stations. By September last year, there were less than 700 charging stations nationwide.
The government has pledged to install 500 more stations by 2030. A private electric services company called Energy Absolute has surpassed the government’s pledge and installed 1,900 stations, and they plan to add another 1,000 by the end of the year.
So, it seems that while the government is dragging its feet, private industry is getting the job done, and we may soon enjoy cleaner air in Bangkok.