Electric vehicles will be the primary form of transportation during the 43rd ASEAN Summit at the Jakarta Convention Center in Indonesia from September 5 to 7.

Road transport is a large contributor to transportation carbon emissions, and its main source of carbon emissions is vehicles. The creation of electric cars is a step toward moving away from fossil fuels and toward green transportation.

What is green transportation? Green transportation refers to any mode of transportation that has a low environmental impact. Green transportation can be private, such as an e-bike, or public, such as an electric city bus or a shared bicycle.

The data from the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA) shows China's new energy vehicle penetration rate has reached 27.6 percent, which means that China's new energy vehicle market has entered a state of explosive growth. 

In recent years, Malaysia, Thailand and other Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries have accelerated the transformation and development of automobile electrification, and China-ASEAN cooperation in the field of new energy vehicles has been strengthened. 

According to People's Daily, new energy vehicle sales in Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, and Cambodia exceeded 51,000 units in 2022, an increase of about 219 percent from 2021. Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia are the three largest new energy vehicle markets in Southeast Asia, and the influence of Chinese new energy vehicle brands is gradually rising in Southeast Asia.

According to Shenzhen Special Zone Daily, Shenzhen is gradually becoming a global new energy automobile industry highland. In the first four months of this year, Shenzhen's electric car exports were 12.4 times higher than before.

However, electric vehicles are less attractive to consumers in the ASEAN market than conventional fuel vehicles due to high prices, usage costs and limited charging infrastructure.

China and the ASEAN countries have also adopted different technical standard systems for electric vehicles, making industrial cooperation more difficult. Differences in standards have also significantly increased research and certification costs.

According to a China Center for International Knowledge on Development statement, ASEAN should utilize complementary economic resources to further strengthen electric vehicle industry cooperation and combine the respective advantages and resource endowments.

China is the forerunner of the new energy automobile industry, the ASEAN market has huge potential, and the prospects of trade and industrial cooperation are very broad. The ASEAN Summit will provide win-win solutions for China and the ASEAN automotive industry through various forms.

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