How will the EV journey in South-east Asia unfold?

Nguyen Ba Canh Son, founder and chief executive of Vietnamese electric motorcycle manufacturer Dat Bike, said a vicious circle therefore ensues, with insufficient infrastructure holding users back from taking up EVs.

"If there's more infrastructure today, a lot more people will switch to EVs," said Son. "If a lot more people are using EVs, it's easier for investors to invest in infrastructure."

"Electric motorcycles need to grant riders the same range, power and speed as an ICE motorcycle, but at the same cost or lower," said Dat Bike's Son. "Currently, the price-to-performance ratio among most manufacturers in South-east Asia is not sufficient to justify making the switch."

Yet domestic two-wheeler brands such as Vietnam's Dat Bike and Selex, Thailand's Deco and Singapore's Zion have bucked this trend, achieving local and regional presence ahead of Chinese entrants. Dat Bike, for instance, has looked beyond its home market with a planned entry into Thailand in 2026.

"The motorcycles used in South-east Asia are very different from those used in China, where motorcycles cannot exceed speeds of 45 kilometres per hour," said Son. "Here, riders want electric motorcycles to be the equivalent of ICE motorcycles."

"There's not enough incentive for the Chinese to develop a new product and go after the market here," he added.