STORY: Chinese electric vehicles gaining momentum in Cambodia
DATELINE: Sept. 13, 2023
LENGTH: 00:03:03
LOCATION: Phnom Penh
CATEGORY: ECONOMY

SHOTLIST:
1. various of dealer's shop
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (Khmer): KIM KHEANG, Trader
3. SOUNDBITE 2 (Khmer): MOEURNG SOKMENG, Sales supervisor at the Mingyang Guoji Co., Ltd.
4. SOUNDBITE 3 (Khmer): UDOM PISEY, EV manager at the Car4you Co., Ltd.

STORYLINE:

Kim Kheang, a 25-year-old trader in Cambodia, has decided to shift to use a Chinese electric vehicle (EV) in a move to save fuel costs and help keep the air clean.
   
Speaking to Xinhua while buying a Hongqi electric car in Phnom Penh, Kheang hopes that the EV would halve his fuel costs and contribute to protecting the environment.
   
SOUNDBITE 1 (Khmer): KIM KHEANG, Trader
"Previously, I used a gasoline-powered car and my expense on petrol costs was a bit high at 300 to 400 U.S. dollars per month. I decided to switch to use an electric car because it is eco-friendly and will help save my budget (on fuel costs). Also, its price is similar to that of a petrol vehicle. This Hongqi EV is my favorite because it is a high-end brand in China. It is beautiful, with high quality and a competitive price."
      
SOUNDBITE 2 (Khmer): MOEURNG SOKMENG, Sales supervisor at Mingyang Guoji Co., Ltd.
"Since the government has encouraged the imports of EVs, consumers' interest has considerably increased because they are aware of their advantages such as saving on fuel costs and environmental friendliness. Currently, we have sold out a lot of EVs, both small-scale and large-scale, and our EVs have received considerable support from consumers. A full charge (for a Hongqi EV) costs only 9 U.S. dollars and it can be driven up to 431 kilometers. At this distance, if we use a petrol or hybrid car, it costs up to 30 U.S. dollars for gasoline, so using EVs benefits consumers a lot."

SOUNDBITE 3 (Khmer): UDOM PISEY, EV manager at Car4you Co., Ltd.
"For the electric cars, there are not many moving parts, so maintenance and repair costs are very low if compared to internal combustion vehicles.
   
EV prices are similar to those of petrol or diesel vehicles, but because the government has encouraged people to use EVs, so it has lowered import duty for EVs.
  
The Cambodian government is promoting the use of electric vehicles (EVs) and electric motorcycles for their environmental benefits and cost savings.

The government aims to have 40 percent of cars and 70 percent of motorbikes be electric by 2050 to reduce carbon emissions.

To encourage this, import duties on electric vehicles have been reduced since 2021, making them about 50 percent cheaper than traditional vehicles.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Phnom Penh.
(XHTV)