NAKHON RATCHASIMA, THAILAND – Demand for electric vehicles in Korat rose sharply as higher oil prices and concern over the Middle East pushed up fuel costs.
Oil Prices as a Catalyst
According to Sudtirak Phansai-chuea, a manager at the Ek Saha Group, the recent jump in fuel prices and the prospect of shortages had changed many motorists’ purchasing decisions. What had previously been seen as a convenient alternative had, for more and more people, become a question of cost.
Running a petrol-powered car was increasingly perceived as a financial burden that weighed on household budgets. This shift in perception was now visibly shaping choices in the regional car market.
Busier Showrooms
The dealer reported a clear surge in interest in recent weeks, reflected in significantly more visits to the showroom and a noticeable rise in concrete EV inquiries. Compared with the end of last year, the number of potential buyers had increased markedly.
This had already led to a higher volume of bookings in the region. The trend suggested that more local drivers were prepared to switch away from conventional vehicles.
From Bonus to Necessity
Earlier government schemes such as the EV-3.0 support package had helped to kick-start the market. However, the current momentum was driven increasingly by practical necessity, according to Phansai-chuea.
Many customers were doing their sums more rigorously than before and were no longer coming because of a “nice-to-have”, but because they no longer wanted to bear the running costs of a combustion vehicle in everyday life.
Technology Shift Gathers Pace
Looking ahead to the coming months and years, the manager was confident that the EV sector would continue to grow as technology advanced rapidly. More and more powertrain types were pushing into the market.
He pointed to the development from hybrid to plug-in hybrid and on to extended-range EVs, which were gradually reducing dependence on fossil fuels and paving the way towards fully electric cars.
Combustion Engines Lose Ground
Conventional vehicles with internal combustion engines were likely to play an ever smaller role in the long term, in the dealer’s view. Supply and demand were both shifting towards electrification.
Pressure on petrol and diesel models was coming not only from environmental or image concerns, but increasingly from the hard realities of fuel costs and security of supply.
Calculating Cost per Kilometre
As his main argument, Phansai-chuea cited running costs. He said the price per kilometre driven for an electric car was around 20% of that for a petrol vehicle.
“Anyone currently spending 6,000 baht a month on fuel could save around 4,800 baht by switching to an electric car and instead use that money for monthly instalments.”
said Phansai-chuea, manager at Ek Saha Group.
The example calculation underscored how cost savings were becoming a decisive factor for many customers. For a growing number of drivers in Korat, the move to an EV was less about image and more about balancing their monthly budgets.