OVER the past 3 years, South-east Asian governments have given more support to the electric vehicle (EV) industry, stepping up efforts to attract investment and pushing the use of EVs – but consumer take-up has been slow. By the end of last year, EVs accounted for only 1 per cent of the region’s total car population.

Thailand, the region’s top car manufacturer, set a target in 2020 for EVs to make up 30 per cent of its total automotive output by 2030. In March last year, this was raised to 50 per cent. The Thai government also rolled out measures to support the industry this February, including lowering import tariffs and sales tax, and providing market subsidies.

In 2019, Indonesia introduced a presidential regulation prioritising the development of facilities for producing EVs and their parts. The state-owned PT Industri Baterai Indonesia (IBI) was set up last year to support foreign investment in raw materials and resources for EV manufacturing. Indonesian President Joko Widodo has spoken about the country’s goal of having 200 million electric vehicles on the road by 2025.