Gentari has announced it has activated its first electric vehicle charging stations in Thailand, installed by its charging infrastructure provider in the Land of Smiles, Evolt. The three chargers, which appear to be Delta 22kW AC Max chargers (currently dialled down to 7kW), are all located at the Exchange Tower in Khlong Toei, Bangkok.
This follows the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) Gentari and Evolt signed in January, which will see the two companies explore new areas of co-development and co-investment in EV charging infrastructure. Other potential green mobility and clean energy solutions across Southeast Asia will also be looked at, Gentari said in a statement.
“The collaboration with Evolt has been a thrilling endeavour, as we leverage their market leadership to propel Gentari’s maiden venture into regional infrastructure development in Southeast Asia,” said Gentari chief green mobility officer Shah Yang Razali. “Our bigger goal is to bolster our green mobility network across key markets in Asia Pacific, and this partnership plays a crucial role in achieving that objective, while driving the transition towards sustainable mobility in the region.”
Evolt COO Kanchalerm Earsakul added: “This represents a significant milestone in our commitment to provide convenient, reliable, and sustainable charging options for electric vehicle owners. This station is the latest example of our dedication to innovation and sustainability, and we are proud to offer our customers cutting-edge technology and exceptional service. We believe that this station will play a vital role in accelerating the adoption of electric vehicles.”
The new chargers add to Evolt’s more than 10,000 AC and DC stations located across Thailand, as well as Gentari’s network of over 150 stations in Malaysia and over 170 stations in India (up from 190 stations across both countries last year). Gentari aims to install 9,000 public charging stations by 2026, as part of its greater goal of capturing a 10% market share (around 25,000 charging points, based on current estimates) across Asia Pacific by 2030.
As yet, it’s unclear how the three Evolt-installed chargers will be integrated into the Gentari network beyond branding. Right now, users still need to download the Evolt app to activate them, as they are not displayed on Petronas’ Setel app (as would be the case with local Gentari chargers); they cost THB 9 (around RM1.20) per kWh of charge, plus another THB 9 for every hour of use. Interestingly, the Evolt app also shows the 11kW AC chargers at the Mandarin Oriental in downtown KL.
With more and more EV chargers cropping up across Malaysia, cross-border chargers are quickly becoming the next frontier for local charging networks. Competitor ChargEV has already expanded to Singapore with the installation of a 150kW DC charger in Ang Mo Kio.