Mr. Michael Grewe, President and CEO of Mercedes-Benz (Thailand) Limited, said, "Mercedes-Benz has a commitment to deliver 'THE BEST' to customers today and tomorrow through continuous launch of new vehicles and innovative technologies. Among them, we put special emphasis on 'EQ – Electric Intelligence by Mercedes-Benz', our technology brand that centers on development of green mobility technologies and the environment as we progress our path to emission-free driving. By 2022 we will be electrifying the entire Mercedes?Benz portfolio and our customers will thus have the choice of at least one electric alternative in every model series from 'smart' branded vehicles through to full-size Mercedes?Benz SUVs, taking the total to 50 overall."
According to Mr. Grewe, the Thai market for electric vehicles is on an upward trend, thanks to increased consumer education about electric alternatives and their advantages. "Three major factors that contribute to robust growth of the market are supportive policies from the Thai government, including excise tax privileges and investment incentives offered to carmakers; product offerings that agree with Thailand's market conditions and lifestyles of the people; strong supply chain of the Thai automotive industry; and most importantly, the expanding network of charging stations, which assures prospective users of electric vehicles that access to the infrastructure is conveniently available through their journeys," he pointed out.
"Mercedes-Benz Thailand has received great support from the Thai government all along," Mr. Grewe continued. "Vice versa, the company actively supports Thailand's automotive industry development towards the next generation automobile, including its supporting industries. We have invested in local production of plug-in hybrid alternatives in every model series we market, established a battery production base in Thailand, transferred the expertise of our parent company through our local human resource development program, which also assure customers of our long-term commitment to Thailand, and built a growing, nationwide network of charging stations to ensure the best electric mobility experience for customers. Today's announcement of our operational involvement with three leading hotel groups—Marriott International, Minor Hotels, and Hilton—is a milestone in bringing electric mobility to new heights and in meeting customers' demands more extensively, as well as reaffirmation of our lead in electric drive technology."
Mr. Frank Steinacher, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, added, "Mercedes-Benz premiered the EQ technology brand in its new vehicles in 2016 and has continued to launch many more offerings that feature these technologies ever since. As the electric alternatives for our customers, Mercedes-Benz Thailand currently offers a variety of eight plug-in hybrid choices, namely C 350 e Avantgarde, C 350 e Exclusive, C 350 e AMG Dynamic, E 350 e Avantgarde, E 350 e Exclusive, E 350 e AMG Dynamic, GLE 500 e 4MATIC Exclusive, and GLE 500 e 4MATIC AMG Dynamic. We still stand firm as being a No.1 in Thailand's premium car market who offers the widest range of plug-in hybrid cars, which takes 40% of the total Mercedes-Benz sales."
"One of our strategic priorities for electric vehicle business is to serve with the growing popularity of our EQ vehicles. By building an extensive network of charging stations, we can meet the demands of customers based on their lifestyle and behavioural changes towards electric driving. The customers will, for instance, expect a greater variety of convenient charging points in addition to charging in their home garage, at Mercedes-Benz authorised dealers, or shopping centres. The expansion of our charging station network with the three leading hotel groups are solid evidence of Mercedes-Benz' commitment to sustainable technologies and the best customer experience, particularly when modern-day hotels are emerging as lifestyle centres, attracting more people with guest services that have diversified from accommodation to meetings, seminars, fitness facilities, cafe and restaurants. This expansion will result in the provision of around 200 electric vehicle charging stations from Mercedes-Benz, including at 32 authorised dealers nationwide and leading hotels and shopping centres, such as Siam Centre, Central World, and Paradise Park, and there will be more in the plan to follow," Mr. Steinacher explained.
Mr. Gerd Kotlorz, Area Director of Sales & Distribution Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Myanmar of Marriott International, said, "Innovation has been part of Marriott through the 90-years of our heritage. We continually challenge the status quo with new brands, new global locations and new guest experiences based on our customer centric approach. In Thailand, we operate 42 hospitality properties and know that our guests expect more than lodging, with expectations spanning in-hotel banquets, seminars, fitness centres, and restaurants. As a result, Marriott hotels have evolved into lifestyle points that connect with the everyday life of people. In-hotel availability of charging stations for electric vehicles will increase the convenience of our guests, and hence enrich the guest experience with the next level of comfort, in line with our positioning as favourite places where locals meet and enjoy good food and beverages together."
Mr. Thomas B. Meier, Anantara's SVP Operations – ASIA, said, "Minor Hotels is an international hotel owner, operator and investor with a current portfolio of 161 hotels and resorts in 26 countries worldwide. In Thailand, we now operate 18 Anantara and AVANI properties. Both hotel brands are committed to all dimensions of sustainable development – environmental, economic and societal. Working on this project with Mercedes-Benz, our mobility and fleet partner, aligns with our commitment to environmental sustainability. We are honoured to be amongst the first hotels in Thailand to be equipped with eco-friendly charging technologies as we strive to meet the rising demands of guests who own electric or hybrid vehicles."
Mr. Peter Webster, Regional General Manager – Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, of Hilton, said, "As a leading global hospitality company, we continue to redefine sustainable travel through our Travel with Purpose commitment. Working with like-minded businesses such as Mercedes-Benz to roll out more environmentally sustainable solutions at our properties in Thailand is in alignment with our Travel with Purpose 2030 goals to cut our environmental footprint in half and double our social impact investment. We know today's consumers are more passionate about sustainable travel and going green in the transportation space is increasingly popular among our guests. Providing charging facilities for electric vehicles at a number of our hotels in Thailand is an example of how Hilton continues to provide exceptional experiences for our guests and enhance our operations through technological innovation, while continuing to be an environmental leader in the industry."