Thai PM drives daughter’s tiny electric hatchback to EV board meeting

BANGKOK: Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin drove his daughter’s yellow hatchback electric car to the year’s first meeting of the National Electric Vehicle Policy Committee (EV Board) at Government House on Wednesday (Feb 21).

Srettha, who stands 1.92 metres (6 ft 4 in) tall, steered the small Abarth 500e, made by Stellantis, through the main gate of Government House at 9.10am. The licence plate read Sor Thor 30, matching the premier’s initials.

Emerging from the car, Srettha explained he wanted to experience the fun of driving instead of being driven by his chauffeur all the time.

He said he had driven the Stellantis EV from his residence on Sukhumvit Road.

“I like to drive sometimes because it’s one of my pleasures. When I was a businessman, I always drove,” he told reporters at Government House, confirming that he had borrowed the Stellantis from his daughter.

The premier expressed his admiration for the hatchback EV in a post on X (formerly Twitter): “I love its bright colour and the fact that it’s an electric car.”

Srettha also showed off the electric car to Government House reporters before heading to the meeting.

Stellantis is a multinational carmaker formed in 2021 through the merger of Italian-US company Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) and France’s Groupe PSA.

The Abarth 500e is a performance-oriented version of the Fiat 500e.

The EV uses a more powerful electric motor with 113kW (155 horsepower) and 235Nm of torque, compared with the Fiat 500e’s 87kW (118hp) and 220Nm.

The EV board meeting discussed measures to support large commercial electric vehicles such as buses and trucks and measures for supporting the EV battery industry in Thailand. - The Nation/ANN