The Southeast Asian electric vehicle (EV) market is experiencing explosive growth. In the first half of 2025, EV sales across the six ASEAN countries surged by 63%, with an average adoption rate reaching 18%.
At the same time, the region’s charging infrastructure development is struggling to keep pace with EV growth, revealing an increasingly significant market gap.
Take Vietnam as an example: EV sales reached nearly 90,000 units in 2024, 2.5 times higher than in 2023, and the country’s EV stock is projected to reach approximately one million by 2030. The International Energy Agency recommends that Vietnam build between 100,000 and 350,000 charging stations over the next 15 years.
Faced with such enormous market potential, Southeast Asian governments are actively rolling out supportive policies to pave the way for charging infrastructure construction.
1. Blue Ocean Market with Unlimited Potential
The Southeast Asian EV market has entered the fast lane. Consumers in the six ASEAN countries—Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, Vietnam, and Singapore—have shown significant interest in EVs.
76% of Southeast Asian consumers plan to purchase an EV within the next five years, reflecting strong market potential and the region’s eagerness for future mobility solutions.
The Thai government’s “Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) Strategy” aims to achieve a 30% share of new energy vehicles (NEVs) in total car sales by 2030.
Vietnam has introduced multiple incentives for NEVs, using policy guidance to accelerate the adoption of green mobility solutions.
Singapore stands out in EV readiness, ranking second globally, just behind Norway.
Southeast Asia not only shows rapid growth in EV sales but is also making forward-looking moves in charging technology. Thailand is actively promoting “smart charging” and Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) technologies, striving to integrate new energy transportation with smart grids.
2. Lack of Standards and Lagging Infrastructure
Compared with the rapidly growing EV market, charging infrastructure in Southeast Asia is clearly lagging. Insufficient numbers of chargers and the absence of construction standards are major bottlenecks for the industry.
A representative from the Vietnam Automobile Manufacturers Association noted that laws need to specify power supply and charging standards to guide enterprise planning, research, and investment.
The lack of technical regulations regarding site selection, power supply standards, electrical safety, and fire protection has led to a lack of coordination in charging station construction.
The challenge lies not only in the quantity of charging facilities but also in the quality and uniformity of technical standards. Liang Guanghui, Head of the Greenhouse Gas Management Division at the Department of Climate Change, Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, emphasized that issues in charging infrastructure also involve power sources, power types, and transmission methods.
The Deputy Director-General of the Department of Science, Technology, and Building Materials revealed that relevant authorities are drafting technical standards and establishing charging station networks at highway service areas, bus stations, and urban areas to maximize convenience for users.
3. Technological Integration and Standard Upgrades
As Southeast Asia strives to fill its infrastructure gaps, global charging technology is rapidly advancing toward intelligence and standardization.
The European Union has taken the lead by issuing regulations to comprehensively upgrade technical standards for charging infrastructure, providing clear industry guidance.
From January 8, 2026, all new or upgraded public chargers in the EU must support standards from EN ISO 15118-1 to EN ISO 15118-5.
From January 1, 2027, all new public and private chargers must also support the EN ISO 15118-20:2022 standard.
These standards form the core foundation for future-ready functions, such as plug-and-charge, secure communication between vehicles and charging points, and bidirectional charging.
Meanwhile, emerging technologies such as wireless charging, electric road systems, vehicle-to-grid communication, and hydrogen refueling are continuously maturing, bringing new growth opportunities to the charging industry.
Demand for new scenarios, including “PV + energy storage + charging integration” and battery swapping, is surging. The industry faces three main challenges: improving energy replenishment efficiency, breaking through technical bottlenecks, and integrating resources efficiently.
4. Connecting the World, Creating the Future Together
Given the enormous potential and challenges of the Southeast Asian market, the industry urgently needs a high-quality platform that brings together global expertise and connects supply and demand.
The 2026 World Charging Technology and Facility Exhibition will take place from September 16–18, 2026, at the Canton Fair Complex in Guangzhou.
The exhibition will provide industry participants with a high-value platform for cutting-edge technology exchange, new product promotion, premium channel development, and precise trade matchmaking.
The event will feature multiple high-level industry forums and professional seminars, inviting leaders from the charging pile industry chain, technical authorities, regional marketing experts, and representatives from relevant government departments.
Leveraging the Metaverse, the exhibition will create a supply chain platform that links the entire chain—from raw material procurement to core component manufacturing, terminal equipment production, and market promotion and distribution. By constructing an integrated Metaverse supply chain network covering manufacturers, distributors, retailers, and end-users, enterprises can centralize marketing promotion, maximize matchmaking efficiency, and facilitate collaboration.
The Southeast Asian charging infrastructure market is on the brink of a boom. Vietnam’s plan to build 100,000–350,000 charging stations over the next 15 years is just the tip of the iceberg of regional demand.
Global charging technology standards are gradually unifying, while smart charging, V2G, and PV + energy storage + charging integration are reshaping the industry landscape.
The 2026 World Charging Technology and Facility Exhibition, as a high-end platform connecting the global industry chain, will play a pivotal role in driving technological innovation, promoting supply-demand matchmaking, and leading industry development.