The Future

This is the first time I get to write about the new Chevrolet plug-in hybrid, as there is finally a Thai connection to the story.

According to the source, GM could bring the Chevrolet Volt to Thailand as early as 2011. The decision to bring the new car to Thailand is not all that surprising, and could eventually pave the way for local assembly in Thailand.

What is this Volt thing?

Unless you've been sleeping under a rock, it's unlikely that you haven't already heard about the Chevrolet Volt. If you simply google the word "volt" you'll get some indication about how important the Volt has become.

Either there is an error in the article below, or Eco-Cars are going to be expensive. Taken from the Bangkok Post, the article below is mostly stuff you will have already heard about the Eco-Car project.

But it seems that this article does answer a question that many are interested to know: What will Eco-Cars cost? Or perhaps the best way to put it is: How cheap will Eco-Cars be?

As you scan down through the article you eventually meet this statement:

Thailand's small eco-cars will be selling in the range of $16,000 and up.

Car shows in Thailand are basically glorified showroom. Thankfully some of the car makers still get the idea, and offer at least one concept car. At the back of the Nissan display, on a raised revolving platform sat the Nissan Intima concept.

According to reports coming out of Singapore, Yasuyuki Kawamoto, the chief engineer of the Thai assembled Corolla Altis, has said that Toyota would be assembling the Camry Hybrid in Thailand.

Mitsubishi motors are struggling in Thailand. With a measly 4.5 percent of the market share on sales of just 6,600 units for the first quarter of '07, Mitsubishi really need some new, exciting and competitive machinery in their line up. Something like a new Lancer would help!

Ask the "expert" analysts about the Thai auto market and they will tell you things like: The Thai public hate hatchbacks, they want big cars with big boots, and they want pickup trucks. I think the "experts" are wrong. I think that the Thai motoring public would lap up a Eco-Car, and the sooner Toyota bring the Aygo to Thailand the better.

Of course there are other small cars that could come to Thailand, but the Aygo has the most going for it. First.... it's a Toyota, the company that dominates virtually every segment of the market in Thailand.

As 2006 draws to a close many people seem interested in reviewing the year that was, but bkkAtuos.com would rather look to the future. Before we get into our 2007 forecast, be aware that these are our predictions and might not be entirely accurate.

Although we can't guarantee anything, the information in this preview might be of some use in identifying models that are approaching end of life.

So without further ado, let's get back to the future and see what 2007 (2550) will bring.

Windscreen fogging, although not much of an issue in Thailand, is set to be combated by nanotechnology.

Apparently an electrically conductive coating which uses nanotechnology can be applied to the windshield across its entire surface, and heated to deal with fogging – without the problem of obstructive wires present in the rear window heaters currently in use.

According to Nanowerk the technology might make its way to market in the next couple of years.

The Toyota Prius has been an option for environmentally conscious motorists since 1997. Almost a decade later a visit to Toyota Thailand's website contains a short flash presentation of the Prius with the message: "To the Power of Hybrid - Get ready for the new journey."

Are Toyota hinting at a forthcoming release of the Prius on the Thai market? Is the timing right? Will it sell? Should it sell?

Moller International. Ever heard of them?

"Take the most technologically advanced automobile, the Ferrari, Porsche, Maserati, Lamborgini, or the more affordable Acura, Accord, or the like. It seems like all of the manufacturers of these cars are touting the new and greatly improved "aerodynamics" of their cars.