Growing urbanization combined with a surge in industrial activity and traffic congestion are the main known contributors towards Bangkok's air pollution problem. According to the Pollution Control Department (PCD), over the past years Bangkok's air quality has degenerated to levels deemed unsafe.
Thailand’s average concentration of PM2.5 from 2011-2018 was 24 mg/m³, with Bangkok and surrounding areas closer to 30 mg/m³ which exceed the guidelines from the World Health Organization that say a person’s average annual PM2.5 exposure should not exceed, on average, 10 mg/m³.
The problem has grown as the nation's booming economy has brought more cars to the streets of Bangkok. Although the city has expanded its Skytrain rail system and subways, many Bangkokians still rely on private cars to commute, pushing government to speed up measures to reduce the level of harmful particles known as PM2.5 mainly caused from internal combustion engines.
The government is aiming to increase the adoption of electrified vehicles, including hybrids, plug-in hybrids, and battery electric vehicles (BEVs), to combat the situation. Electric vehicles (EVs) are on the rise in Thailand. The Department of Land Transport statistics shows that there were 2,854 electric vehicle registrations at the end of 2020, up 380% from 2018 when there were only 325 registered. Hybrid electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles reached a total of 153,184 vehicles. This rise in electric vehicle registration will lead to an increased need for reliable and accessible charging infrastructure.
To expand the public fast charging network, Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA), a government enterprise in the utility sector, has partnered with Bangchak Corporation, a leading Thai energy company, to install 124 of ABB’s Terra 54 fast chargers at 62 sites across Bangchak’s petrol stations and PEA offices, which are located in 40 provinces across the country, by the end of 2021.
The first 40 units of ABB Terra 54 DC fast chargers have now been switched on and are ready to charge at 20 of Bangchak’s petrol stations located in 14 provinces. An additional 84 chargers will be commissioned over the coming months.
“To support the government’s ‘Thailand 4.0’ and policy on electric vehicles, PEA is installing EV charging station infrastructure every 100 km on the main transportation routes across the country, with a total of 62 ABB fast charging stations delivered by 2021 in order to promote the use of EV cars and facilitate EV drivers to travel all over Thailand,” said the Assistant Governor of Provincial Electricity Authority. “PEA also developed a mobile application allowing EV drivers to search for a charging station and see the directions to and status of the charger, as well as operate the charger via the app on their mobile device to ‘start’ and ‘stop’ the charging process.”
“ABB has been a pioneer in enabling smarter, greener and emission free transport networks across the globe through our EV charging infrastructure and our ABB Ability™ platform. ABB Terra 54 fast chargers can charge a vehicle's battery up to 80% of the average charging capacity of the electric vehicle within 15 to 30 minutes. The charger is compatible with all EVs currently on the market and has been certified to perform optimally within the environment of a petrol station,” said Gianandrea Bruzzone, Country Managing Director and Head of Electrification, ABB Thailand.
The Terra 54 is the all in one electric vehicle charging solution which is compatible with all CHAdeMO, CCS and Type 2 AC vehicles currently on the road. ABB chargers come with connected services based on a 24/7/365 monitored platform. These allow customers to easily connect their chargers to different software systems like back-offices, payment platforms or energy management solutions via the Internet.
ABB plays a leading role in the development of sustainable mobility with its innovative and digital technologies and has participated in a growing number of projects around the world and in Thailand. This project will help Thailand embrace a fast-track transition to a future of e-mobility, in which smart, reliable, and emission-free mobility will be accessible to everyone, everywhere.
ABB is a world leader in electric vehicle infrastructure, offering the full range of charging and electrification solutions for electric cars, electric and hybrid buses as well as for ships and railways. ABB entered the EV-charging market in 2010, and to date. ABB entered the e-mobility market back in 2010, and today has sold more than 400,000 electric vehicle chargers across more than 85 markets; over 20,000 DC fast chargers and 380,000 AC chargers, including those sold through Chargedot.
Its commitment to driving progress in e-mobility is shown most clearly through the title partnership with the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship. From Season 9, in 2022-23, ABB will become official charging supplier to the championship.
For more information about ABB’s EV Charging Solutions, visit new.abb.com/ev-charging
