Resident Coordinator's Remarks at the Distribution Ceremony for Delivering 50 Electric Motorcycles to Motorcycle Taxi Drivers in Bangkruai, Nonthaburi, and Bangphlat, Bangkok

I am delighted to join this important ceremony, which may well be a turning point for electric mobility in Thailand.

First of all, let me congratulate the 50 drivers who are receiving new electric motorcycles.

You are now trailblazers for EV two-wheelers in Thailand and can serve as agents of change for reducing air pollution and CO2 emissions.

We appreciate your willingness to shoulder the cost of insurance. Thank you.

I would also like to thank TailG for donating the motorcycles, STALLION for assembling and servicing the vehicles.

As leading manufacturers, you are instrumental in taking electric mobility to the next level by improving technology and reducing costs to make EV two-wheelers even more competitive.

You are also demonstrating that private businesses can be leaders of change even as they mind their bottom lines.

I would also like to recognize the work of ENTEC and EGAT for championing e-mobility in the country

As a utility company, EGAT plays a crucial role in ensuring the growth of electric mobility by providing charging infrastructure, and your strategic decision to invest early in battery swapping is commendable.

ENTEC (National Energy Technology Center), thank you for being a close ally in pioneering electric mobility in Thailand and a leading think tank on e-mobility in this region.

A big thank-you to Governor Chaichumsak and Deputy Governor Wisanu Supsompon for championing EVs and showing great leadership on the mobility transformation.

We rely on your drive to spread today’s message of cleaner and greener transportation to motorcycles far and wide around Bangkok and Nonthaburi, so this region can serve as an example for other cities and towns.

Finally, I would like to acknowledge the leadership of UNEP in championing sustainable mobility work globally.

Their partnership with ENTEC and EGAT led to the national battery-swapping standards that underpin the transformation to electric two-wheelers.

It is initiatives such as this where the UN’s unique expertise can truly shine.

By facilitating the growth of the low-end segment of electric mobility, the UN is aiding the most vulnerable to leave no one behind.

This partnership between the government, the private sector, and the UN showcases how we can all play to our respective strengths as we accelerate progress on the SDGs.

Our collaboration is also about making a business case for electric mobility so that more drivers can own an EV two-wheeler as we also develop an ecosystem of battery swapping stations for use by all.

If we get this pilot right, this will serve as an accelerator for the broader electric mobility transformation across Thailand and the region.

Already, UNIDO is working with the municipality in Rayong in the EEC to introduce electric songthaews, testing a business model where these vehicles will serve on feeder routes.

That initiative, too, is an example of a broad-based partnership between the local municipality, private sector players, individuals, and the UN.

Together these initiatives are laying the groundwork for a whole new world of electric mobility for two- and three-wheelers. 

However, we still have a long way to go. There are 21.8 million two-wheelers around the country that release 3.7% of GHG. Switching all those vehicles to EVs will be transformational for climate, air quality and people alike.

I am heartened by the fact that the government is taking the necessary steps to speed up the transition to electric mobility.

These include the “30 by 30” policy, targeting 30% of the domestically produced vehicles to be zero-emission by 2030.

The government also provides incentives and tax breaks to encourage EV adoption, including purchase subsidies, exemptions from import duties and excise taxes, and reductions in road taxes and registration fees.

In closing, let me thank you all once again for your contributions as we set out at full speed towards a bright future for electric two-wheelers in the country.