Exclusive: Thailand's EV makers seek to renegotiate govt incentives as sales slow

BANGKOK, Sept 11 (Reuters) - As sales of electric vehicles miss expectations in Southeast Asia's largest market, Thailand's main group of manufacturers, comprising large Chinese and Japanese firms, seeks to extend production deadlines set in a government scheme of incentives.

The scheme helped lure investment of more than $1.44 billion in new production facilities from Chinese EV car makers, such as BYD Motors (002594.SZ), opens new tab and Great Wall Motor (601633.SS), opens new tab, making Thailand a regional hub in turning out electric vehicles (EVs).

But as sales falter, partly because Thai banks have tightened loan requirements, the Electric Vehicle Association of Thailand (EVAT) is asking the government for more time to meet targets in the main incentive scheme supporting the industry.

"We're trying to negotiate, extend the production date out a little," the grouping's president, Suroj Sangsnit, told Reuters, outlining a proposal that has not previously been reported.

"The conditions say we have to produce within a year, so can we ask for another year?" added Suroj, the executive vice president of SAIC Motor-CP, a joint venture of SAIC Motor and Thailand's CP Group.

The EV 3.0 plan, as it is called, required companies receiving tax breaks and other support to produce in Thailand this year the same number of vehicles they...
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