Bangkok--9 Jan--24x7
- Thailand is production base of small EV car for exports
- FOMM is ready to locally market the first ever locally-made full battery electric car
FOMM (Asia) Company Limited, a Thai-Japanese joint venture to produce full battery electric car in Thailand, has announced its one-billion-baht investment plan to produce small electric car in Thailand to serve domestic market and exports.
According to Mr. Hideo Tsurumaki, Chief Executive Officer of FOMM (Asia), "Thailand was selected as FOMM production base for small full battery electric car for local market and exports because Thailand has been rich of supporting industries and supply chain for automobile industry. Moreover, automobile industry in Thailand has been supported for a long time and the Thai Government had mature policy to promote electric vehicle production."
Under the Fomm's investment plan, said Mr. Tsurumaki, FOMM had invested around one billion baht in the Thailand's production located at Amata City Industrial Estate, Chon Buri with assembly capacity of 10,000 units per annum and the first car was expected to deliver to the customers by early next year.
"In fact, we have reversed to produce the car in Thailand, not originated from Japan, because I have been confident the Thai Government policy to promote investment of electric car and Thailand has had strong supporting industries for automobile compared to other countries in South East Asia encouraging Fomm to decide to invest in Thailand," he said and confirming that Thailand has been named as Detroit of Asia.
FOMM (Asia) has entered into Thailand for three to three years for study plan to produce car and to get local requirements for developing small electric passenger car. FOMM started to produce full-battery electric car by early this year and locally marketed the made-in-Thailand EV. Now it has 355 units in booking order.
FOMM (Asia) is set up by FOMM Corporation in Japan in February 2016 with a registered capital of 50 million baht and now it has invested 1,000 million baht in electric car assembling plant. FOMM will continue to invest 200 million baht more in sales and service network.
"We have offered test drive for the customers who have placed booking orders for the car during November 2nd – 4th in Bangkok being considered as the first event of the company for our customers and will be the first ever event happened in Thailand. The objective of this event is for our customers to get experience and gain confident our locally-made electric vehicle before we hand over the car to them," said Mr. Tananan Kanjanakuha, FOMM General Manager.
The FOMM One is the first model to be designed by Japanese engineers' team in Japan and is produced in Thailand being considered as the world smallest four-seater electric vehicle. The FOMM One is priced at 664,000 baht through PEA ENCOM Company Limited, a subsidiary of the Provincial Electricity Authority.
"We are negotiating with many agencies to use our electric vehicles in their operations and they have been interested because our car is in line with their policy to solve the global environment problem," he said.
The FOMM One is 2,585x1,295x1,560 mm. with kerb weight of 445kg (without Battery and Option) and is equipped with electric motor producing maximum output of 5kWx2 and maximum torque of 280N?mx2 (FF in-wheel motor).
"This specification is suitable for the city use travelling around the community in one day with one-time charge of six to eight hours enabling the car to run around 160 kilometers or costs around importantly meaning the cost per kilometer is low as only 30 satang," said Mr. Tananan.
Mr. Tananan said FOMM would present the FOMM One at the major motor shows and it also planned to organize roadshows in provinces and interested motorists would be offered test drive the world's smallest EV for their experience before making final decision to purchase the car.
Meanwhile, FOMM is planning to set up more sales and service network nationwide and initially FOMM will offer test drive at its showroom in Bangkok with plan to offer more in provinces in the future.