Thailand Makes History : First Electric Vehicles Exported As Auto Industry Faces Headwinds

Nation records initial EV shipments while overall production slides to lowest in 44 months

Thailand has achieved a historic milestone, with the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) confirming the export of its inaugural consignment of 660 electric vehicles (EVs) in April 2025.
This landmark development unfolds against a backdrop of persistent challenges for the broader Thai automotive sector, which continues to experience declining production and a sluggish recovery outlook.

Surapong Paisitpatanapong, spokesperson for the FTI’s Automotive Industry Club, revealed that total car production in April 2025 amounted to 104,250 units.

This figure represents a 19.75% decrease from March 2025 and a marginal 0.40% drop compared to April 2024, marking the lowest production level in 44 months.

Despite the overall downturn, the output of passenger cars and SUVs, encompassing Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs), Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs), and Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEVs), witnessed substantial growth, rising by 639.75%, 319.11%, and 35.31% respectively.

 Conversely, the production of internal combustion engine (ICE) passenger cars plummeted by 33.60%. This decline was primarily driven by a 36.93% fall in export-oriented passenger car manufacturing, attributed to model changes.

Production of pickup trucks also decreased by 3.06% as domestic sales for these vehicles contracted by 33.16%. For the first four months of 2025, total vehicle production reached 456,749 units, an 11.96% reduction compared to the equivalent period in 2024.

In April 2025, 67,085 vehicles were manufactured for export, accounting for 64.35% of total production. This marked a 6.73% decrease from April 2024.

From January to April 2025, exports totalled 303,881 units, representing 66.53% of overall production, an annual decline of 12.07%.

Ref: Thailand Makes History : First Electric Vehicles Exported As Auto Industry Faces Headwinds (nationthailand)