Going green ahead...

According to PTT President and CEO Prasert Bunsumpun, “PTT has long been known as one of Thailand’s most advanced and socially responsible companies. GM is known as one of the world’s most innovative companies. Bringing our organizations together to work on a comprehensive and integrated automotive energy strategy for Thailand will be invaluable to the country’s transportation system. This, in turn, will create tremendous value for Thailand’s people by greatly improving the quality of life they and their children will enjoy. We’re very excited about the potential of our cooperation.

“Collaboration in energy research illustrates the importance of partnership among companies, academic institutions and countries to the future of our country. As the automotive industry grows, we have a responsibility as industry leaders to ensure we understand the opportunities and the challenges ahead of us. This project will help.”

The third initiative is the development of an alternative energy roadmap for Thailand. GM will work with industry experts in the Thailand Automotive Industry Association to develop a comprehensive and integrated automotive alternative energy strategy for Thailand. According to Wagoner, the roadmap will outline alternative fuel pathways that are “socially responsible, economically viable, environmentally sustainable, and technologically feasible.”

GM will share resources and personnel with the rest of the industry and collaborate on the development of a strategy for reducing Thailand’s reliance on petroleum-based fuel. “There are significant challenges and opportunities in Thailand and around the world related to energy and the environment,” said Wagoner. “By applying our unique resources and working together, GM’s overarching strategy of supporting Thailand’s energy and environmental issues can help meet the challenges and fully leverage the opportunities for the benefit of all of Thailand’s citizens.

“This new broad-based automotive alternative energy strategy will support Thailand as it undertakes one of the most rapid technological transformations in its history,” Wagoner added. “It is designed to bring together various resources, including GM’s global resources, to accelerate the application of energy-efficient and environmentally friendly alternative fuel technologies.”

To showcase their development in alternative fuel for cars, GM even brought four experimental cars to this symposium. Oneshift.com was there to test-drive the Chevrolet Impala Flex Fuel, Chevrolet Tahoe Two-Mode Hybrid, Chevrolet Equinox Fuel Cell and Saturn Vue Hybrid.

Credits: Story & pictures by Azfar Hashim reporting from Bangkok, Thailand