Metropolitan Electricity Authority Thailand and Nissan ink partnership to provide home charging solutions

A key step towards driving electrification in Thailand 

BANGKOK , Thailand  (August 27, 2018) – The Metropolitan Electricity Authority (MEA) of Thailand and Nissan today signed a landmark agreement to work together to ensure that home charging options create the right infrastructure in preparation for the launch of the new Nissan Leaf in Thailand this fiscal year.

The memorandum of understanding (MOU), signed at MEA’s Ploenchit office in Bangkok, underlines the commitment to ensure that electric vehicle drivers have access to charging stations at home, at work, and on the road – creating a new way of thinking about transportation that will drive the electrification of Thailand.

MEA and Nissan will work together on service tools, usage and service manuals for charging systems, technical skills training, charging equipment development and an electric fee payment system. The agreement is another example of successful partnerships between the government, state enterprises and the private sector.

The MEA Governor said, on the occasion of MEA’s 60th anniversary this year, MEA is aiming to become a technology leader in modern electric vehicles and preparing to support the growing use of electric cars in the future as the engine is clean and economical. MEA has also supported both public and private sectors by continually signing the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with operators and entreprenuers. This collaboration between MEA and Nissan is one of the meaningful opportunities to create more EV market penetration in Thailand. MEA will be the service provider in electrical system and related equipment in charging stations to ensure Nissan's customers confident and system safety as well as provide the trainings on electricity system for EV to Nissan Thailand staffs. The collaboration has also responded Energy Efficiency Plan (EEP 2015), aiming to promote the use of Plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) and Battery electric vehicle (BEV) totalling 1.2 million cars by 2036.

Moreover, MEA has also launched “MEA EV Application” for convenient using the application on Smart Phone in the latest version 2.0 supported both IOS and Android to search the nearest charging station, book a charger in real time basis, control a charger through a remote system, show charging history, calculate energy saving rate, and other additional functions for more conveniences in the future.

Antoine Barthes, president of Nissan Thailand, said the new Nissan Leaf is the most advanced and accessible EV on earth. “We’ve sold more EV units and we’ve been doing it longer than anyone else. The new Leaf is also an icon of Nissan Intelligent Mobility (NIM) - designed to create a safer, smarter driving experience.”

NIM is the vision behind every Nissan vehicle, especially electric and hybrid vehicles, and is a long-term investment to move people around the world towards a safer and more sustainable future by heavily investing in research and development based on the need of customers and advances in the automotive industry.

“This MOU is yet another milestone as Nissan brings its global leadership in electrification to Thailand. This is a landmark agreement for MEA and Nissan to work together to ensure that we have home charging options in place for our valued Leaf customers ahead of the introduction of the vehicle to Thailand this fiscal year,” Barthes said.

The EV outlook for Thailand is also strong. Earlier this year, Nissan commissioned a study by Frost & Sullivan to look at the future of Electric Vehicles in SEA. That showed there was strong interest in Electric Vehicles, with 44% of Thai respondents saying they would definitely consider buying an EV as their next vehicle.

“Nissan is re-thinking the car to be more than a car, and we are the company pioneering breakthrough solutions to fundamentally enhance the city of the future. This MOU takes us one step closer to that goal, right here in Thailand, because we believe the future is electric, connected and autonomous,” Barthes said.

About Nissan Motor (Thailand) Co., Ltd.

Nissan was established in Japan since 1933 with the commitment to create Innovation that Excites for customer satisfaction. Nissan wants to improve quality of life for people in society by pursuing a goal of zero emission vehicles and zero fatalities on the road with “Nissan Intelligent Mobility”. The company plans to introduce autonomous drive vehicles across regions for safety and more enjoyable driving experience. Nissan started business in Thailand since 1952. Currently, the Nissan Group of Companies in Thailand has subsidiaries five companies, including two of the production bases, over than 190  showrooms and service centers nationwide network. Vehicle range cover all segments includes 10 models spanning the entry level Eco-Car, SUV, Premium Sedans and Pickup Trucks.

About Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.

Nissan is a global full-line vehicle manufacturer that sells more than 60 models under the Nissan, INFINITI and Datsun brands. In fiscal year 2017, the company sold 5.77 million vehicles globally, generating revenue of 11.9 trillion yen. On April 1, 2017, the company embarked on Nissan M.O.V.E. to 2022, a six-year plan targeting a 30% increase in annualized revenues to 16.5 trillion yen by the end of fiscal 2022, along with cumulative free cash flow of 2.5 trillion yen. As part of Nissan M.O.V.E. to 2022, the company plans to extend its leadership in electric vehicles, symbolized by the world's best-selling all-electric vehicle in history, the Nissan LEAF. Nissan’s global headquarters in Yokohama, Japan, manages operations in six regions: Asia & Oceania; Africa, the Middle East & India; China; Europe; Latin America; and North America. Nissan has partnered with French manufacturer Renault since 1999 and acquired a 34% stake in Mitsubishi Motors in 2016. Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi is today the world’s largest automotive partnership, with combined sales of more than 10.6 million vehicles in calendar year 2017.

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