China’s EV exports smash another record as Southeast Asia goes electric
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- China shipped a record $9.2 billion worth of EVs overseas in May, according to Ember data, up 49% year-over-year and narrowly above April's previous record of $9.1 billion
- China's May EV exports totaled roughly 448,000 passenger vehicles — about 279,000 BEVs and 169,000 PHEVs — compared with less than $1 billion in monthly exports back in 2020
- ASEAN imports of Chinese EVs hit a record $1.2 billion in May, led by Thailand (36,000+ vehicles) and the Philippines (33,000+), with Cambodia and Laos also posting record monthly volumes
- Cambodia cut BEV customs duties to zero in late March and slashed PHEV tariffs from 35% to 7%, driving record monthly import volumes as BEVs remain the dominant Chinese EV type entering the country
- Laos reduced EV registration and service fees, required transport companies to have EVs make up at least 10% of fleets by end of 2026, and temporarily banned ICE car imports through the end of 2025
- Ember analyst Lam Pham said higher fuel prices linked to the Middle East conflict are accelerating Southeast Asia's shift to electric transport, reinforcing electrification as a path to energy security
Why it matters: Southeast Asian governments are engineering EV demand through aggressive policy — Cambodia cut BEV tariffs to zero, Laos banned ICE imports outright — pulling $1.2 billion in Chinese EVs into ASEAN in a single month. Chinese automakers gain a high-growth export market built on government mandates and fuel-crisis economics, with Thailand importing 36,000+ Chinese EVs and the Philippines 33,000+ in May alone.
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