19 September
The Khaing Khaing Sangda Motorcar factory in the Thadukan industrial zone, Shwepyitha Township, Yangon Region, is producing electric cars, which will be launched in the market soon, said Mr Yu Jian Chen, the managing director of the factory.
Production at the factory started in March on new models of hybrid electric cars. The cars are being jointly produced by China’s Yue Di and the Khaing Khaing Sangda Motorcar factory for Myanmar.
At present, more than 100 electric cars of the KSD-V1-NE1 variant have been manufactured. The model can seat five people, and reach an average speed of 50 kmph. It can travel 100 km (62 miles) without a break.
In September, the factory is producing two models — KSD-V1-NE2 and KSD-V1-NE3, which can reach a speed of 70-80 kmph. They can go up to 800 km (approximately 500 miles) on full battery and are priced at K13.9 million. The car battery comes with a 5-year warranty. The factory is also offering a warranty of five years on the cars.
“There are plans for a hire-purchase system. Electric cars are being produced at the factory under the semi-knocked down system. The cars can run long trips as they have a gasoline engine for recharging the battery when the battery pack’s charge gets low. They can help save on the high cost of gasoline and are eco-friendly,” said Mr Yu Jian Chen.
“Electric cars can help reduce air pollution, oil consumption, and carbon emissions. People from the middle-income group can afford to buy the cars. The factory can also create job opportunities for locals and produce skilled labor,” he added.
This is the first time that electric cars are being produced in Myanmar.
Myo Min Thein (Mayangon)
(Translated by Ei Myat Mon)
