31% of Thais eye battery electric vehicles as next car choice

A recent survey by Deloitte Thailand revealed that 31% of Thai consumers are likely to opt for a battery electric vehicle (BEV) as their next car, the highest percentage in Southeast Asia. Despite this, internal combustion engine vehicles continue to be the preferred choice in the region.

The survey, conducted between September and October last year, focused on consumer behaviour in the automotive industry, particularly in relation to the growing electric vehicle (EV) trend. Over 6,000 consumers from Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam, and Singapore participated in the study, including around 1,000 Thai respondents.

Chodok Panyavaranant, Deloitte Thailand’s clients and market manager, stated that Thais are expected to base their next vehicle purchase on product quality, vehicle features, and brand image. He also noted that demand for EVs is increasing across the region as consumers seek to reduce fuel expenses.

The main reason for choosing a BEV among Thai consumers included a superior driving experience and the ability to use the car as a backup battery. The Thai government has been actively promoting EVs, approving a package of incentives last year, such as tax cuts and subsidies, to encourage EV consumption and production between 2022 and 2023.

However, concerns remain among Thai and regional consumers, with 48% and 54% respectively citing a lack of public charging infrastructure as their biggest worry. Other concerns included the time required to charge a BEV and the vehicle’s price.

Deloitte’s findings showed that 64% of Thai consumers would be willing to wait between 10-60 minutes for their car’s battery to charge, and 41% expect a driving range of 300-500 kilometres per charge. Home charging was the most popular option, while 51% of regional consumers preferred dedicated EV service stations for public charging, and 26% favoured traditional petrol stations with EV chargers. A smartphone app emerged as the top choice for payment when using public EV charging facilities among Thai (67%) and Southeast Asian (51%) respondents, reports Bangkok Post.