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Eco-cars to feature at parts fair |
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Organised by the Department of Export Promotion, the fair would be held from April 23-27 at Bitec Bang Na. Talks are under way with manufacturers about which prototypes of eco-cars, Thailand's new champion product, would be displayed at the event. Three leading automobile manufacturers - Honda, Nissan and Suzuki - have been given the green light to start producing eco-cars in 2009. They must make at least 100,000 units by 2014. Suparat Sirisuwannaangkura, president of the Thai Automotive Industry Association, said the eco-car was the latest technological advancement that is attracting a wide range of automobile distributors and was fast becoming a hot commodity among consumers. An international concern over global warming and the continuous fuel price increase have made eco-cars more attractive as consumer vehicles, he said. Speaking about the development of much-needed alternative fuels, he said there were no signs of oil prices coming down, so it has become imperative that new kinds of energy come to the market. At the beginning of this year, the new gasohol E20 containing 20% ethanol has come onto the market to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Also next month, the use of biodiesel, or B2 with 2% palm oil content, will be mandatory. Further down the road, the emissions standard Euro 4 is set to replace Euro 3 in 2012. Mr Suparat said auto parts and accessories manufacturers have responded quickly to global warming by improving operational efficiency to control exhaust in their plants and refine their painting processes by moving away from toxic substances such as thinners. Measures to further reduce environmental problems include the reduction of heavy metals, such as lead and chromium, and the new development of bio-plastics such as polylactic acid (PLA). Mr Suparat said that the use of organic substances such as corn and tapioca with PLA would result in the availability of more degradable products for auto parts such as dashboards, floor mats and spare tyres. |
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Bangkok Post, 21.01.2008 |
