Green Daily

Asian Consumers Turn to EVs Amid Iran Oil Shock

Chinese carmarkers are benefitting from the new interest.

People inside a BYD Co. showroom in Chiang Mai, Thailand, on Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024. Tourism is one of Thailand’s key industries accounting for about 20% of total jobs and making up roughly 12% of the nation’s $500 billion economy.Photographer: Valeria Mongelli/Bloomberg

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By Neil Jerome Morales, Linda Lew, and Coco Liu

March 20, 2026 at 12:16 PM UTC

The energy crisis caused by the war in Iran is strengthening the case for electric vehicles for some consumers. Chinese carmarkers are the big winners.

Today’s newsletter looks at what’s happening on the ground in Southeast Asia, where drivers are turning to EVs as a cheaper alternative. Plus, an exclusive on a company entering the US electric truck market and a profile of celebrated Danish architect Bjarke Ingels.