Japan's "Nihon Keizai Shimbun" article on March 4, original title: China's electric vehicles are popular in Laos, weakening the dominant position of Japanese cars due to the oil crisis, and Chinese-made electric vehicles are sweeping Laos. Laos has been lagging behind in economic development among ASEAN countries, but the country's transition to electric vehicles is advancing rapidly. Laos has strengthened its ties with China by joining the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) launched by China.
When I walk on the streets of Vientiane, the capital of Laos, I can see not only Nezha, a Chinese new energy vehicle brand, but also electric vehicles made by Chinese companies such as BYD and SAIC. Vientiane is like an exhibition of electric cars made in China.
Masaaki Kawabata, general manager of Toyota Laos, said that the pace of transformation to electric vehicles in Laos is quite alarming, led by Chinese car companies. "Before 2021, Laos imported almost zero electric vehicles, but in 2022 it suddenly accounted for 9% of total vehicle imports, and in 2023 this proportion rose to 15%. ”
In 2022, new car sales in Laos were around 1050,000 units. According to a survey by Toyota Laos, the share of Chinese cars in new car sales in Laos rose from about 5% in 2020 to 19% in 2023. At the same time, the share of Japanese automobiles in new car sales in Laos has fallen from 67% in 2020 to 56% in 2023, still accounting for more than half, but it is slowly declining.
Chinese-made electric vehicles quietly surpass Japanese-made large pickup and SUV cars. What I saw in Vientiane is consistent with the data from Toyota Laos.
Laos** is driving the adoption of electric vehicles. On the premise of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050, Laos** has set a target of at least 30% of the domestic car ownership of electric vehicles by 2030, and has developed incentives such as tax incentives. Under such conditions, Chinese electric vehicles are pouring into Laos all at once. China and Laos are both left-hand drive countries, which is also a blessing for Chinese companies.
The influx of Chinese electric vehicles into Laos, usurping a foothold for Japanese automakers, shows that China's influence on the lives of Laotians is growing. (Written by Ao Pingli, translated by Li Qi).