Ora Good Cat EVs at a Great Wall Motor manufacturing plant in Rayong, Thailand, Jan. 12, 2024. Wang Teng—Xinhua/Getty Images
Japanese brands have long been at the top of Thailand’s auto market. The Southeast Asian country is the region’s largest car producer and exporter, helping it earn the “Detroit of Asia” moniker. And not only do carmakers like Toyota and Honda manufacture in Thailand, they dominate vehicle sales there, too.
But now Chinese EV makers, amid a massive global expansion, are making inroads into Thailand’s car market. It’s the latest country where China’s cheap electric cars are challenging established automakers, many of which were slow to embrace the EV transition.
BYD, Hozon Auto, and Great Wall Motor now collectively have 7.4% market share in Thailand, according to data released Thursday…
