HONG KONG — A conflict in the Middle East has dramatically shifted the global electric vehicle landscape, giving Chinese automakers a significant foothold across developing nations as skyrocketing fuel costs push more drivers to go electric — even as the charging networks needed to support them struggle to catch up.
The blockade of the Strait of Hormuz disrupted the movement of roughly one-fifth of the world’s crude oil and liquified natural gas. The disruption hit Asia hardest first, then rippled into Africa.
That shock accelerated a trend already taking hold in developing countries. In April, Chinese EV exports reached a record $9.4 billion, according to an analysis of Chinese customs data by the think tank Ember. Shipments climbed sharply to countries including Australia and Brazil, as well as regions across Southeast Asia and East Africa.
China exported approximately 435,000 passenger electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids in May — more than twice the number from the same month a year earlier — according to the Chinese Association of Automobile Manufacturers.
As fuel expenses climb, more everyday drivers are making the switch to electric to cut costs. Meanwhile, governments from Laos to Ethiopia are embracing electrification as a way to reduce dependence on oil imports and ease the financial burden of fuel subsidies.
But the rapid uptick in EV purchases is moving faster than the infrastructure needed to charge them. In Africa, governments and state-owned utility companies are stepping up to lead the charge in building those networks — a model that analysts say could offer a blueprint for other emerging markets in Asia looking to move away from fossil fuels.
When a country doesn’t yet have enough charging stations or a large enough EV fleet, it creates what Paul Gong, head of China automotive industry research at UBS bank, calls a “classic chicken-and-egg problem” about which needs to come first.
“At that stage, government support for infrastructure could help accelerate adoption,” Gong said.
Across the developing world, drivers are looking for alternatives to the gas pump.
In Southeast Asia, Chinese EV imports have surged in Thailand, Laos, and the Philippines. In May, Laos went so far as to ban the importation of fuel-powered vehicles for the remainder of 2026 in an effort to reduce oil import costs and speed the transition to electric.
Africa imported roughly 44,000 Chinese electric vehicles in 2025 — a 130% jump from the previous year — according to data from China’s Commerce Ministry.
Throughout Asia and Africa, transportation is among the biggest household costs. Limited public transit options, lengthy commutes, and a heavy reliance on personal vehicles leave families exposed to unpredictable swings in fuel prices. In South Africa, transportation accounts for nearly one-fifth of household spending, according to a 2024 study by Stellenbosch University in South Africa’s Western Cape province.
As fuel prices spike globally, interest in electric vehicles has been rising, said Mark Wakefield of the consultancy AlixPartners.
Last year, one out of every four new cars sold worldwide was electric, according to the International Energy Agency. Global electric car sales are projected to grow even further in 2026, reaching 23 million units and accounting for nearly 30% of all vehicles sold, based on the IEA’s most recent EV outlook.
“In the next five years, we will accelerate (our) overseas expansion,” said Jerry Gan, CEO of Geely Auto, one of China’s largest automakers, speaking at a company event in March as the automaker pushes into markets like Southeast Asia.
Chinese automakers supplied roughly 60% of electric cars sold globally, according to the IEA. They have also been targeting markets in Europe, Africa, and Latin America.
In Vietnam, automaker VinFast also saw stronger sales numbers. Demand from Southeast Asia helped drive a 42% year-over-year increase in the company’s revenue for the January through March quarter.
Most mornings, Nguyen Thien Bao navigates his VinFast electric motorbike through the congested streets of Vietnam’s capital, Hanoi, transporting passengers and packages. The electric bike has significantly trimmed his costs as fuel prices rise.
“Before, so much of my income went into fuel,” he said. “Now, I can actually save some money.”
But even as EV imports boom, charging infrastructure continues to fall short, despite an acceleration in new installations.
Thailand, for example, has roughly 4,600 public charging locations to serve more than 424,000 battery EVs and plug-in hybrids, according to the Electric Vehicle Association of Thailand — about one charging location for every 92 vehicles. The country currently has approximately 12,000 public chargers total, the IEA said.
Chitsanupong Nuamnorm’s workaround is to keep his gasoline-powered Mazda 2 for longer weekend trips, even though the Chinese-made MG4 EV he purchased on Feb. 27 — the day before the Iran war broke out — has been saving him considerable money.
Yutthana Samranwong, a 54-year-old driver in Thailand’s northern Phitsanulok province, says trying to book public charging ports to keep his MG4 EV running is an unreliable process. “It’s a bit of a headache,” said Samranwong, who sometimes works with the Grab ride-hailing and delivery platform.
In Bangkok, the strain on charging networks is pushing some drivers to think about going back to fuel-powered vehicles.
In Malaysia, the number of public fast chargers grew by more than 70% in 2025, according to the IEA, following government incentives that included a tax break for charging point operators meeting certain investment requirements.
Indonesia has more than 4,500 public charging stations installed by the state-owned power utility PLN, the IEA reported.
Ethiopia, which has prohibited the import of non-electric vehicles, had only about a dozen charging stations as of mid-2025. The government estimates it will need more than 1,170 stations to meet growing demand. In the capital city of Addis Ababa, 40 stations are currently under construction, according to the state electricity utility.
“In developing markets, affordability can accelerate the shift, but the pace of adoption will still depend heavily on infrastructure, power reliability and use case,” said Chris Liu of the technology research and advisory group Omdia.
African nations are increasingly turning to state-owned utilities to construct EV charging networks, wagering that public investment can overcome one of the biggest hurdles to widespread electric vehicle adoption.
“Utilities are recognizing that electric mobility will become a meaningful source of future electricity demand,” said Ndia Magadagela, co-founder and CEO of Everlectric, a South African commercial EV leasing company.
There are currently around 2,000 public EV charging stations across Africa, with South Africa holding the largest share. State-controlled utility Kenya Power has plans to build 44 charging stations within the next year.
Constructing charging networks in developing markets is challenging, according to Omdia’s Liu, who pointed to grid connections and ongoing maintenance as key hurdles. While some large Chinese automakers — such as BYD, which is expanding its ultrafast charging network in places like Europe — are growing their charging footprint, most major Chinese automakers have relatively little incentive to build charging networks outside of China, he said.
State-owned utilities are therefore positioned to play a larger role, according to Liu, given their close ties to a country’s grid planning, electricity pricing, and distribution capacity.
“You need charging infrastructure to support an even larger fleet size,” said Gong, the automotive analyst from UBS.
