BYD dealership in Thailand (Source: BYD)
China’s EV export machine shows no signs of slowing down, and demand from Southeast Asia is a big part of it.
China shipped a record $9.2 billion worth of electric vehicles overseas in May, according to new data from Ember. That’s up 49% year over year and just ahead of the previous monthly record of $9.1 billion set in April.
China exported around 448,000 electric passenger vehicles in May, including roughly 279,000 BEVs and 169,000 PHEVs. That’s a significant jump from 2020, when the country’s EV exports were worth less than $1 billion a month.
These figures are another reminder of just how dominant China has become in EV manufacturing. Chinese automakers are producing EVs at a massive scale and increasingly finding buyers far beyond their home market.
Chinese EV exports to ASEAN countries reached a record $1.2 billion in May as governments across the region push to electrify transportation. Thailand led the way, importing more than 36,000 Chinese EVs, while shipments to the Philippines topped 33,000 vehicles.
Meanwhile, Cambodia and Laos both posted record monthly import volumes as governments rolled out incentives, expanded charging infrastructure, and encouraged local assembly.
Cambodia cut customs duties on BEVs to zero in late March and slashed tariffs on PHEVs from 35% to 7%. BEVs remain the dominant type of Chinese EV entering the country, although PHEVs are gaining ground.
Laos has reduced EV registration and service fees and now requires transportation companies to have EVs make up at least 10% of their fleets by the end of 2026. In May, the country also temporarily banned imports of ICE cars through the end of the year as it works to reduce its dependence on imported fossil fuels. The impact of that policy will likely become clearer in the months ahead.
Ember says higher fuel prices linked to the conflict in the Middle East are accelerating the shift to electric transportation across the region.
“The current energy crisis has reinforced the value of electrification as a pathway to greater energy security, reduced fuel import exposure, and long-term transport cost savings,” said Lam Pham, Ember’s energy analyst for Asia.
The record month also reflects a much bigger trend of accelerated EV adoption across Asia. Euan Graham, Ember’s senior electricity and data analyst, said, “Southeast Asia is fast becoming one of the most dynamic destinations for electric vehicles, and China is supplying that demand at scale and speed.”
Electrek’s Take
Southeast Asia doesn’t get as much attention in the West as Europe, the US, or China in global EV growth discussions, but it’s rapidly becoming one of the world’s most important EV growth markets.
Chinese automakers have moved aggressively into the region with affordable EVs, local manufacturing investments, and partnerships, while governments are increasingly backing electrification with incentives and supportive policies. The energy crisis caused by the Middle East crisis has only put Southeast Asian EV adoption into turbo mode.
The result is that China’s EV export boom keeps hitting new highs, and Southeast Asia is becoming a big reason why.
Read more: Global EV sales hit 1.8 million in May as Europe races ahead
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