KCar Rental: Why ICE Cars are Still the Preferred Option

KCar, formally known as Krungthai Car Rent & Lease Plc, anticipates a deceleration in the second-hand car and car rental markets as financial institutions continue to enforce stringent lending criteria. This is attributable to high levels of household debt and subdued purchasing power.

Pichit Chantarasereekul, the managing director of KCar, highlighted that banks are increasingly cautious due to the high incidence of non-performing loans in the automotive industry.

“High household debt raises concern among banks over non-performing loans as they are high in the automotive sector.”

In the second-hand car market, there is a continued preference for internal combustion engine (ICE) cars over electric vehicles (EVs), primarily due to the limited availability of EV charging facilities compared to petrol stations. Furthermore, Pichit noted a larger demand for passenger cars over…