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Eco-car norms impractical, says
Toyota Thailand
Thailand Investment Board's
conditions impossible to meet, says
Toyota.
BY A CORRESPONDENT
November 30, 2006
Impractical! That’s the term used by Toyota Motor Thailand Co with regard to the Thailand Investment Board’s conditions to promote the production of fuel efficient eco-cars.
The company has appraised the government that the terms spelt out by the board are rather difficult to comply with. Pointing out that the cars lined up for export markets should not have fuel consumption rates of five litres per 100 km, because that does not meet the varying needs of consumers abroad. Moreover, the exhaust emission standards set for eco-cars is also more than what is required in several key markets.
Adding that the local oil refineries will be ready to produce fuels that meet the Euro 4 emission standard by year 2012, after the BoI's scheduled rollout of eco-cars in 2009, the company said that in certain countries, the Euro 4 emission standard is not applied to eco-cars.
The company said it hoped the government takes these factors into consideration, or else the costs of eco-cars will be much higher than cars in other segments.
Another condition spelt out is that companies needed to produce at least 100,000 eco-cars within five years. Toyota Motor Thailand Co made it clear that it isn’t possible, for the simple reason that it is not easy to find the market for such high production volume.
The plan to lower the excise tax for eco-cars was also snubbed saying that the change would distort the automobile market.
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