Swedish truck maker Scania opens a new factory in Samut Prakan today to assemble trucks and buses and manufacture truck cabs.
The opening coincides with the debut of a new truck line in Thailand, the result of ten-year in development work at 72 billion baht in investment. The new truck delivers up to 5% lower fuel consumption and uses a more environmentally friendly Euro 6 fuel, making it the first Euro 6 gas heavy vehicle launched in Thailand.
"It is undoubtedly the biggest investment in Scania's 128-year history," said Stefan Dorski, managing director of Scania Siam Co Ltd. "It is with great pride that my colleagues and I are now presenting the products and services that will bring Scania to new levels in Thailand and carry us far into the next decade."
In terms of safety, Scania has significantly enhanced both active and passive features like curtain side airbags to protect drivers in rollover accidents.
The trucks offer a new cab design that increases driver comfort and visibility through lower dashboards and an adjusted driver position. The aerodynamics, together with a new powertrain, provide a fuel consumption reduction of up to 5%.
"With this new industrial establishment and with local suppliers, we can now build Scania trucks and buses according to global specifications, with Thai origin," said Gustaf Sundell, managing director of Scania Group Thailand. "It gives completely new prerequisites for our growth in the Asean Free Trade Area.
"By increasing our local presence, we are now able to quickly respond to the customers' demands and make sure that we provide the best transport solution for each customer."