SINGAPORE, 15 September 2022 – SEV, which has one of the largest fleets of commercial electric vehicles (“EVs”) in Singapore, is teaming up with Thailand-listed Planet Communications Asia (“PlanetComm”) to supply electric cars, vans, and scooters to Pattaya’s tourism industry, in a pilot project that could pave the way for more of such vehicles to be rolled out to other tourist spots in the kingdom.
SEV will work with PlanetComm’s subsidiary Planet EV for the pilot program, which aims to make EVs available at hotels, tourist attractions, and the airport in Pattaya. Users can book the vehicles online and return them afterward at designated locations within the city.
The tie-up will also sell EVs to commercial users such as taxi and car-rental companies and food-delivery platforms. It will also install EV charging points and battery-swap stations in select locations in Pattaya.
At least 1,000 cars and no fewer than 1,000 scooters will be made available in the pilot programme, which has the support of the mayor of Pattaya, Mr. Poramet Ngampichet, who met senior executives of SEV and PlanetComm recently to discuss the project.
If the programme is well received, both companies will work with relevant parties such as the Thai Hotels Association to extend it to other tourist spots in the country. Thailand, which is stepping up efforts to promote sustainable tourism, is the first country to implement the UNESCO Sustainable Travel Pledge nationwide since its launch in 2019.
Mr. Steven Kwek, SEV’s general manager, said: “Thailand is a market with a lot of growth potential as far as demand for EVs is concerned. Working with Planet EV will give us an immediate foothold here as we can leverage its local networks and contacts to make EVs more readily available at tourist spots while helping transport operators like cab companies and car-rental firms decarbonize their fleets.”
PlanetComm, a distributor of telecom equipment and enterprise IT software, set up Planet EV in April this year to diversify into the EV trade. According to Planet EV, SEV’s track record was a key factor behind its decision to work with the Singapore fleet operator.
SEV is an authorized distributor of EVs in four Southeast Asian countries – Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, and Indonesia. It has the most EV charging points in a single location in Singapore. Earlier this year, it placed orders for 500 BYD e6 electric cars for the Singapore market. It has since taken delivery of about 200 vehicles, most of which have been leased out to drivers on ride-hailing platforms Gojek and Grab.
“SEV has demonstrated its ability to scale up quickly and make significant inroads into the Singapore EV market. We at Planet EV believe they are our ideal partners as we seek to do the same in Thailand. We are already in discussions to work together in other sectors in Thailand besides tourism, such as logistics,” said Mr. Kittapart Wiriyachanta, Planet EV’s chief operating officer.
About SEV
Incorporated in Singapore, SEV sells and leases electric vehicles in Southeast Asia. Users include drivers on ride-hailing platforms Gojek and Grab. The company also provides charging services for EVs and has the most EV charging points in a single location in Singapore. For more information, visit https://www.sev.com.sg/
Listed on the Stock Exchange of Thailand, Planet Communications Asia (“PlanetComm”) is an authorised distributor of products and solutions for a number of leading telecommunication vendors. It also designs and develops telecommunication and IT devices under its own brand and provides related maintenance and repair services. PlanetComm has a newly formed subsidiary, Planet EV, that will produce and supply electric vehicles and related accessories. For more information, visit https://www.planetcomm.com/en/
