Singapore: willingness to buy electric vehicles declined, GAC Group cooperated with Grab

Car consumption in Singapore has turned, and the willingness to buy electric vehicles has significantly cooled. Based on the latest data of Ernst&Young, the proportion of consumers in Singapore considering buying electric vehicles dropped from 73% to 58%, while the proportion of consumers intentionally choosing traditional fuel vehicles rose from 26% to 32%, and the consumption preference showed a "return flow" trend.

The survey shows that 56% of local consumers are worried about the quality and compatibility of public charging piles, far exceeding the global average (25%); High battery replacement costs and insufficient charging facilities are also major concerns. The Singapore market is showing signs of a return from the electrification boom to pragmatism, with infrastructure and costs remaining key constraints.

GAC Group, a Chinese carmaker, has reached a strategic cooperation with Southeast Asian travel giant Grab, and will launch up to 20000 electric vehicles at one time, taking the lead in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam. The three models launched include AION Y, AION ES and AION V, covering the demand for car hailing on the mainstream network. The cooperation between the two parties is not only limited to the supply of vehicles, but also will realize technical integration. It is proposed to embed Grab application into the on-board system of Guangzhou Automobile, so as to improve the order receiving efficiency and driving safety of drivers.

Thailand: Introduce a new policy on automobile consumption tax in 2026, and the sales volume of SAIC MOTORrise

The Thai government announced the new rules on motor vehicle consumption tax in 2026, with the core adjusted to comprehensively calculate tax according to the carbon dioxide emission and greatly incline to the new energy models.

Sea Express: Thailand Introduces New Policies on Automobile Consumption Tax in 2026

Sea Express: Thailand Introduces New Policies on Automobile Consumption Tax in 2026

For pure electric vehicles, the tax rate drops significantly from the current 8% to 2%. The tax rate for plug-in hybrid vehicles depends on pure electric endurance: 5% for vehicles with endurance not less than 80 km and 10% for vehicles with endurance less than 80 km. However, the tax rate is subject to two conditions: at least two ADAS systems are equipped and the batteries used are made in Thailand.

The hybrid electric vehicle and diesel locomotive are divided into multiple grades of tax rate according to the carbon dioxide emission value. The higher the emission is, the higher the tax rate is. The tax rate range of diesel locomotive is 13% - 34%. All emission-related tariffs are scheduled to escalate gradually between 2028-2030.

In 2025, the global sales of MG brand of SAIC Group will exceed 4.5 million units, with a year-on-year growth of 12.3%. Thailand achieved a strong 44% growth in sales of 35872 units throughout the year. The company management stressed that Thailand is not only an important sales market, but also a key production base for the group's long-term investment, and will continue to promote the layout of new energy vehicles. In 2026, MG will continue to focus on electrification and intelligent travel technologies to strengthen its competitive advantages in Thailand and even the global market.

Malaysia: Chinese brands dominate the electric vehicle market, Proton optimized after-sales service

The ranking list of pure electric vehicle sales in Malaysia in 2025 shows that Chinese brands have strong performance and take the leading position in the market, which is profoundly changing the market pattern of electric vehicles in Malaysia. In the top ten of the list, Chinese models take up seven seats. BYD became the biggest winner, with sales leading in many models. Sealion 7 ranked No.2 with 4454 units and became the most expensive but best-selling model of the brand. Atto 3 delivered 4069 vehicles, which ranked fourth. Atto 2, M6 and Seal 6 and other models all entered the top 10, helping BYD maintain its position as the first local electric vehicle sales brand. In addition, the luxury pure electric MPV DENZA D9 topped the segment with 1200 units, and the Krypton 7X also ranked top 10 with 1510 units.

Sea Express: Thailand Introduces New Policies on Automobile Consumption Tax in 2026

Sea Express: Thailand Introduces New Policies on Automobile Consumption Tax in 2026

Proton, a local auto brand in Malaysia, recently announced three new after-sales commitments, focusing on improving service efficiency and customer guarantee. Basic maintenance can enjoy "fast service", and complex maintenance promises to deliver the vehicle within 24 hours. If the maintenance time exceeds three days, Proton will provide the customer with a scooter and give a free maintenance service. This policy is applicable to the new Proton Saga and X70 models, reflecting the positive strategy of local brands to enhance consumer confidence and market competitiveness by strengthening after-sales experience.

Indonesia: The sales volume will decline in 2025, and the proportion of second-hand vehicle transaction will rise

Based on the data of Indonesian Association of Automobile Industry, in 2025, the wholesale sales of automobiles in the country will be 803687, and the retail sales will be 833692, with a year-on-year decline of 7.2% and 6.3% respectively, reflecting the slowdown of market demand throughout the year. However, the market rebounded strongly at the end of the year, with sales increasing significantly by 25.7% year-on-year in December 2025, showing positive signs of recovery.

From the perspective of brand pattern, Japanese automakers still dominate, with Toyota and Dafa leading the market. Meanwhile, Chinese brand BYD has achieved significant growth in total sales and retail end, becoming an important player in Indonesian market.

As the new car market continues to shrink, the proportion of used car transactions climbed. University research institutes in Indonesia point out that the increase of new car price far exceeds the growth of household income, and the widening of purchasing power gap is the main reason. In the next five years, about 59% of interviewees still plan to purchase second-hand vehicles, indicating that this consumption trend may continue to strengthen.