12 E-MOBILITY
Venice of the East is leading the electric transportation charge Tess Smallridge
Bangkok is continuing its efforts to become the Electric Transportation Capital of Asia, and a German company is right at the heart of the transformation. The Bangkok Metropolitan Authority (BMA) recently commissioned 12 new zero-emission, all-electric commuter ferries as part of a citywide plan to reduce traffic and vehicle emissions. The Deputy Governor of Bangkok, Mr. Sakoltee Phattiyakul, attended the private ceremony on 14 June at the MariArt Shipyard. The 47.5 ft. fibreglass vessels are powered by an integrated battery-electric propulsion system supplied by Torqeedo GmbH, which is headquartered near Munich. The vessels will augment the existing fleet of eight Torqeedo-powered electric boats introduced into service in December 2020, bringing the total fleet up to 20 boats. “This is an important achievement for the city of Bangkok and a key part of our Thailand 4.0 Smart City vision for an integrated clean, green public transportation system including buses, trains waterways,” said Dr. Ekarin Vasanasong, Deputy Managing Director of Krungthep Thanakom Co., Ltd. (KT) BMA, on the occasion of the first ferry’s launch. In the past, the city of Bangkok was called “The Venice of the East” and many citizens did not rely on land transport. Instead, the city’s canals were the main arteries for trade, commuting, tourism and transpor tation of goods. Gradually, this way of life changed and many canals were filled in to build more roads. As the city grew, so did its problems with traffic congestion.
UPDATE 3/2021
Improving transportation and air quality are enormous challenges for the BMA. Bangkok was named the world’s most congested city by navigation company TomTom Navigation (Thailand) Co., Ltd. Millions of automobiles, tuk-tuks and motorbike taxis crowd the streets, and the average Bangkok resident spends more than 64 hours a year in traffic jams. It’s no wonder, then, that Bangkok again looked to its ancient canals as a way to get commuter traffic off its crowded streets. However, there is a catch – marine combustion engine standards are a lot lower than those for street vehicles, so the emissions are way out of proportion. Moving commuters from the roads to the canals is no bargain if it makes the air dir tier and has an adverse impact on human health. The transport sector contributes 25 per cent of Bangkok’s carbon emissions – higher than the global average – and on the worst days the city’s schools have been temporarily shuttered due to poor air quality. An 80-horsepower petrol outboard emits as much air pollution as driving 350 automo biles at highway speeds. Removing one city bus from the streets might ease congestion, but a combustion-powered ferry will emit more than 40 times the amount of air
