- Title: BYD's Thai distributor to triple EV dealerships, expand commercial offerings
- Date: 19th January 2024
- Summary: BANGKOK, THAILAND (JANUARY 17, 2024) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF BYD SHOWROOM BYD LOGO POINT-OF-VIEW SHOT WALKING TO ENTRANCE OF BYD SHOWROOM / BYD VEHICLES PARKED INSIDE SHOWROOM BYD LOGO ON FRONT OF VEHICLES VARIOUS OF BYD VEHICLES ON DISPLAY IN SHOWROOM SIGN ON CAR, READING (English): "BYD SEAL" CUSTOMERS SITTING INSIDE SHOWROOM BANGKOK, THAILAND (JANUARY 18, 2024) (REUTERS) CEO OF REVER AUTOMOTIVE, PRATARNWONG PHORNPRAPHA, AND HIS YOUNGER SISTER AND VICE CEO OF REVER AUTOMOTIVE, PRATARNPORN PHORNPRAPHA, SITTING AND TALKING PRATARNPORN SPEAKING PRATARNWONG AND PRATARNPORN SPEAKING LOGO OF REVER AUTOMOTIVE ON WALL PRATARNWONG AND PRATARNPORN SITTING IN INTERVIEW (SOUNDBITE) (English) CEO OF REVER AUTOMOTIVE, PRATARNWONG PHORNPRAPHA, SAYING: "As of today, I think we're happy, I think (the) optimal number of the dealers that we want is around 300. I think that could happen in two years. I think more than that is not healthy for our dealers. We're strong believer that our dealers have to be happy as well, we don't just want an empty outlet." REPORTER: "Your current number (of dealerships) is a hundred?" "It's just over a hundred and then by the end of this year, we'll have two hundred and then the next year, we're planning for another hundred, and I think around 300, for us, is a healthy number." BANGKOK, THAILAND (JANUARY 17, 2024) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF BYD VEHICLES ON DISPLAY INSIDE SHOWROOM BANGKOK, THAILAND (JANUARY 18, 2024) (REUTERS) PRATARNWONG AND PRATARNPORN SITTING IN INTERVIEW (SOUNDBITE) (English) VICE CEO OF REVER AUTOMOTIVE, PRATARNPORN PHORNPRAPHA, SAYING (PLEASE NOTE SOUNDBITE PARTIALLY OVERLAYS SHOT 15) "We saw a trend in which we wanted to focus on, hence, you know, the expansion into commercial vehicles. So other than heavy duty vehicles, we also saw that during COVID the rise of short-haul (journeys) was very much evident. And it's still going on now. There's a lot of short-haul deliveries going on, and we also recognise that the logistics industry basically takes up about 30 percent of, let's say, the role of carbon, right? It's a huge chunk which we wanted to focus on." BANGKOK, THAILAND (JANUARY 17, 2024) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF BYD SHOWROOM VARIOUS OF BYD VEHICLES PARKED AT SHOWROOM NEAR CHARGING STATION CHARGING UNITS BANGKOK, THAILAND (JANUARY 18, 2024) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (English) CEO OF REVER AUTOMOTIVE, PRATARNWONG PHORNPRAPHA, SAYING: "Well, roughly, I think we have to get into MPVs (multi-purpose vehicles), we have to get into bigger size SUVs and smaller size sedan, bigger size sedan." BANGKOK, THAILAND (JANUARY 17, 2024) (REUTERS) VEHICLES ON DISPLAY AT BYD SHOWROOM BANGKOK, THAILAND (JANUARY 18, 2024) (REUTERS) PRATARNWONG AND PRATARNPORN SITTING IN INTERVIEW (SOUNDBITE) (English) CEO OF REVER AUTOMOTIVE, PRATARNWONG PHORNPRAPHA, SAYING (PLEASE NOTE SOUNDBITE PARTIALLY OVERLAYS SHOT 22): "Well, our first stage is I think we try to attract our first wave of customers, we're really gunning for private companies, global companies that really want to reduce the carbon emission. But once we've done that and then hopefully successful in that area already and then you can't really run away from the city buses. But I don't think that's where we are going to start. We're going to start with those companies that (are) actually looking for a good product for their business." BANGKOK, THAILAND (JANUARY 17, 2024) (REUTERS) BYD VEHICLES ON DISPLAY IN SHOWROOM / CUSTOMERS SITTING AND LOOKING ON VARIOUS OF BYD CUSTOMERS SITTING AND LOOKING ON (SOUNDBITE) (Thai) 30-YEAR-OLD LAWYER AND CUSTOMER, APISAK PHICHITKARNKA, SAYING: "Personally, I started off with researching the information (about the car) and most of all, I was confident in the quality of the car battery of BYD. Secondly, I feel that the price (of an EV) is budget-friendly, the price is affordable with regards to all the car functions as well. When comparing to the other brands in the (auto) market, the exterior of the car (is better). On top of that, there are also more service centres available around my house too." APISAK AND HIS GIRLFRIEND GETTING INTO CAR VARIOUS OF APISAK CHECKING OUT CAR (SOUNDBITE) (Thai) 30-YEAR-OLD LAWYER AND CUSTOMER, APISAK PHICHITKARNKA, SAYING: "At first, I was concerned about how different it would be from motor engine cars, I was afraid I wouldn't be able to drive them. But once I've tried it, I felt there is absolutely no difference. There is also no issue at all with electric cars in terms of parking the car while the engine is running or carbon emission (concerns). However, I will only have to adapt myself to charging the car at a charging station whereas before it only takes a short time to fill up the tank, so I will have to adjust to that. But when you consider the costs that you can save and other benefits, for me, I personally am willing to accept that. And that's why I chose this as my first EV car." APISAK'S NEW EV BEING PREPPED TO LEAVE SHOWROOM APISAK'S FAMILY MEMBER TAKING PHOTO LOGO OF BYD CAR BEING DRIVEN OUT
- Embargoed: 2nd February 2024 07:06
- Keywords: BYD CHINESE EV Rever Thailand auto automaker car market
- Location: BANGKOK, THAILAND
- City: BANGKOK, THAILAND
- Country: Thailand
- Topics: Asia / Pacific,Company News Markets,Economic Events
- Reuters ID: LVA001342618012024RP1
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:The sole Thai distributor of BYD 002594.SZ, the world's biggest electric vehicle maker, will triple its dealerships in Thailand in two years, it said, helping to cement the Chinese automaker's dominant position in its top overseas market.
BYD overtook Tesla TSLA.O as the world's top EV maker in the fourth quarter last year, and the expansion in Thailand underscores its global push - especially in markets where its U.S. rival has yet to become a major vendor - as EV sales growth slows in its home market China.
Rever Automotive, the distributor that helped launch BYD in Thailand in late 2022, will add 200 dealerships by end-2025, expand commercial vehicles offerings and enter new passenger car segments, CEO Pratarnwong Phornprapha told Reuters.
Rever currently has around 100 outlets, establishing BYD as the dominant carmaker in the fast-growing Thai EV market with a 40% market share, according to Pratarnwong.
BYD sold a total 3 million passenger vehicles in 2023, with more than 90% of those going into the China market, according to data from the China Passenger Car Association. Overseas sales amounted to around 242,000 units.
Thailand accounted for around 20% of BYD's international sales in the third quarter, according to research firm Counterpoint, maintaining its spot as the automaker's largest overseas market, where it is also investing 17.9 billion baht ($504 million) to build a factory scheduled to open this year.
Beyond passenger cars, Rever is looking to make inroads into commercial fleets using BYD vehicles and technology, including for taxis, short-haul trucks and vans, and buses.
Rever is also offering the BYD T3 van for limited distance deliveries that picked up during the COVID-19 pandemic, said Rever Vice CEO Pratarnporn Phornprapha.
Pratarnwong and Pratarnporn are siblings hailing from the Phornprapha family that established the Siam Motors Group (SMG), which helped develop Thailand's automotive industry. Rever is independent from SMG, Pratarnwong has previously said.
(Production: Artorn Pookasook, Juarawee Kittisilpa) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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