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View all search resultsCan ASEAN build trust in its electric future?
Indonesia’s EV ambitions could anchor the green transition in Southeast Asia, but transparency and steady alignment of policy and goals will decide who leads.
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A man stands next to the chassis of an electric vehicle on July 18 at the Gaikindo Indonesia International Auto Show (GIIAS) 2024, which ran until July 28 at the Indonesia Convention Exhibition in Tangerang, Banten. (AFP/Bay Ismoyo)
T
he world’s electric future is being written in Southeast Asia, but the script is still being edited. Across the region, governments are racing to attract investment, build charging networks and electrify transport. Yet behind the optimism lies a bigger question: Can the region win not just the EV race but also the public trust that powers it?
The electric transition is no longer confined to the world’s biggest economies. From Jakarta to Bangkok, local industries, start-ups and public agencies are reshaping what mobility means.
Governments see EVs as not only a climate solution but also a way to create jobs, cut fuel imports and compete in the global green economy. What was once a niche sector has become a central part of Southeast Asia’s growth story.
The challenge today is not technology; it is credibility.
Indonesia and Thailand are leading Southeast Asia’s electric mobility boom, with Vietnam quickly joining their ranks. Backed by incentives, tax breaks and local manufacturing plans, they are shifting from being consumers to becoming producers in the global EV market.
Indonesia’s rich nickel reserves make it central to the global battery supply chain. Its EV road map 2035 aims to link every part of that chain, from mining to assembly. Thailand’s EV 30@30 program has already drawn investment from BYD, Great Wall Motor and Hyundai, while Vietnam’s VinFast is growing fast and looking abroad through new export projects.
Together, these efforts are turning ASEAN into an emerging green manufacturing hub that complements India’s rise as a clean transport market.
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