An EV charges at a station in Bangkok’s Siam Square. Mr Thanakorn wants to promote battery recycling to address the increase in used batteries. Pornprom Satrabhaya
The Industry Ministry is calling for investment in electric vehicle (EV) battery recycling in order to deal with a surge in scrapped batteries, as well as to grow the EV battery production and supply chain.
Industry Minister Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana said Thailand lacks a domestic battery recycling plant, meaning used EV batteries have to be shipped abroad for processing.
“We want to establish a recycling facility to handle the growing volume of expired batteries and strengthen the EV supply chain,” he said.
While Thailand is promoting EV assembly and aims to become a regional hub for EVs in Southeast Asia, the nati…
An EV charges at a station in Bangkok’s Siam Square. Mr Thanakorn wants to promote battery recycling to address the increase in used batteries. Pornprom Satrabhaya
The Industry Ministry is calling for investment in electric vehicle (EV) battery recycling in order to deal with a surge in scrapped batteries, as well as to grow the EV battery production and supply chain.
Industry Minister Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana said Thailand lacks a domestic battery recycling plant, meaning used EV batteries have to be shipped abroad for processing.
“We want to establish a recycling facility to handle the growing volume of expired batteries and strengthen the EV supply chain,” he said.
While Thailand is promoting EV assembly and aims to become a regional hub for EVs in Southeast Asia, the nation lacks a policy to support battery recycling infrastructure.
The ministry recently held talks with Wang Haoyong, newly appointed general manager of Chinese EV maker Aion Automobile Sales (Thailand), to encourage investment in this area.
During the discussions, Aion urged the government to extend EV incentive schemes, including tax cuts and subsidies tied to local assembly investments. The company also called for additional measures to stimulate domestic car sales.
Thailand has launched two major EV programmes: EV3.0 (2022-2024) was meant to increase consumption and production; and EV3.5 (2024-2027) focused on accelerating industry growth.
The upcoming 42nd Motor Expo, scheduled to take place next month in Bangkok, is expected to drive sales of both internal combustion engine- powered vehicles and battery EVs (BEVs).
According to the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI), BEVs are driving domestic car sales growth. The industry projects total sales to reach 600,000 units this year, up from 572,000 last year, exceeding its target of 500,000.
BEV sales are expected to tally 100,000 units, rising from 96,736 in 2024.
BEV makers are attracting more buyers with new technologies, attractive prices and good marketing campaigns, said the FTI’s Automotive Industry Club.
The FTI maintains its 2025 production target of 1.45 million vehicles, including 950,000 units for export and 500,000 for the domestic market, underscoring Thailand’s ambition to solidify its position in the global EV landscape.