BYD presents an electric car to state leaders.

Electric vehicles save govt 300,000 litres of fuel 

The government has imported sufficient electric vehicles to save expenditure on 300,000 litres of fuel and is strongly promoting the use of EVs in Laos.
The figure was reported by the Ministry of Energy and Mines at a meeting in Vientiane last week.
As of May this year, almost 4,000 electrically powered vehicles had been imported into Laos, of which 1,773 were motorbikes. 
The heads of several government bodies are now driving electric cars to set an example to the general populace, and other government officials at the central and local levels are being encouraged to use these fuel-saving vehicles, while their use is gradually increasing among members of the public.
The use of electric vehicles is highly beneficial because it represents huge fuel savings and reduces air pollution as no harmful gases are emitted due to the burning of fuel.
By replacing gasoline vehicles with electrically-powered cars, the government believes it can make a huge cut in expenditure on vehicles purchased for use by state officials, in support of its austerity policy.
Under the green energy promotion strategy being pursued by the public works and transport sector, the goal is for about 20,000 electric vehicles to be in use, or at least 1 percent of the total number of vehicles on the roads, and for 50 charging stations to be installed by 2025.
The next goal is to have 550,000 electric vehicles in use, accounting for at least 30 percent of all vehicles, and for 100 charging stations to be installed by 2030.
The increased use of electric vehicles supports the ministry’s policy to promote the use of clean energy in the transport sector.
Many countries are now promoting the use of electric vehicles in a bid to reduce carbon emissions, especially China, the European Union and the USA.
The Ministry of Energy and Mines fully supports the introduction of electric vehicles, as it will reduce fuel imports and save foreign currency.
The ministry is currently considering conditions around the issuing of licences for such services. One of the main issues concerns the price to be charged for electricity usage, which should not exceed that indicated by the Lao Electricity Authority.
This is the body responsible for setting standards for the use of charging stations, which should be in line with international practices.
In addition, dealerships selling electric vehicles must guarantee the quality of their products, be able to provide spare parts, and offer after-sales service.

By Times Reporters
(Latest Update August 23, 2023)