SET-listed developer Sansiri Plc will spend 500 million baht to install 1,500 electric vehicle (EV) wall chargers at new housing units being launched in 2021-22 to capitalise on rising EV sales.
Chief operating officer Uthai Uthaisangsuk said units being installed with an AC EV wall charger will be single detached houses in the middle-to upper-end segment under the brands Burasiri and Setthasiri, with unit prices of 8-20 million baht.
"The wall charger is faster than a plug at home or only five hours," he said. "All of the units at the new projects under the two brands will get this option. We aim to install 1,500 units by the end of 2022."
Sansiri is eyeing installation of EV wall chargers at cheaper projects with units priced between two to three million baht, but EV car prices should be lower, Mr Uthai said.
Over the past 10 years, Sansiri has installed a total of 95 EV chargers in common areas at 28 residential projects in Greater Bangkok, housing around 20,000 families.
According to the Department of Land Transport, the number of EV cars newly registered from Jan to Aug 2021 rose 25.3% to 1,230 from 982 in the same period last year.
As of Aug 31, the accumulative number of EV cars in Thailand totalled 223,698, an increase of 26.7% from 176,461 recorded in the same period last year.
The largest growth was plug-in-hybrid vehicles, which rose from 75 to 28,799.
The most popular remained hybrid electric vehicles, which had an accumulative total of 177,802 as of Aug 31.
According to Kasikorn Research Center, EV car sales in the country will experience a year-on-year growth of 69-79% to 52,000-55,000 by the end of the year.
Battery-powered EVs will jump 210-288% to 4,000-5,000.