Suzuki to delay phase two of "eco-car" production in Thailand

Current focus is to fulfil the obligation made to the Thailand Board of Investment (BoI) for the first phase.

Japanese automaker Suzuki will delay the start of production for the Thai government's phase two of the "eco-car" programme, according to company president Takayuki Sugiyama, and as reported by local publication the Bangkok Post. Sugiyama said that the automaker's current focus is to fulfil the obligation made to the Thailand Board of Investment (BoI) for the first phase of the "eco-car" project. Suzuki achieved sales of just 20,183 units in Thailand in 2014, representing a decline of 55.4% year on year . Of this total, Suzuki's exports from its Thai plant accounted for just around 9,000 units, according to the news report. "Given the company's domestic sales and exports, Suzuki remained far from the obligation made to the BoI in the first phase [of the eco-car scheme] under which the company has to come up with annual production of 100,000 vehicles a year within five years after 2012," Sugiyama said.