Southeast Asia has emerged as a new global leader in electric vehicle adoption, with several countries surpassing the United States and parts of Europe in EV market share, according to research from energy think tank Ember.
Singapore and Vietnam achieved approximately 40 percent EV penetration rates in new passenger car sales, exceeding levels in the European Union and United Kingdom, while Thailand reached 21 percent and Indonesia hit 15 percent, marking the first time it overtook the United States.
According to Euan Graham, electricity and data analyst at Ember, the region's rapid transformation from below 0.05 percent EV adoption in 2021 demonstrates that emerging markets are now leading the global shift to electric mobility rather than simply catching up.
Government strategies focusing on industrial development, air pollution reduction, and attracting manufacturing investments have driven this growth, with Chinese automakers like BYD playing a central role in meeting surging regional demand outside OECD countries.
While Southeast Asia's EV adoption currently represents around 10 percent of new sales regionwide, analysts project this momentum will accelerate significantly if infrastructure development and policy support continue, with choices made now determining the pace of the region's decarbonization trajectory.
