Thailand registers an average of 1.7 million new motorcycles each year and is the world’s fifth-largest producer, with more than 80% of output sold domestically.
This underscores the strength and scale of the domestic market, which should, in principle, be capable of supporting the shift toward electric motorcycles.
Yet despite substantial government incentives and growing momentum in the electric vehicle (EV) sector, electric motorcycles have not experienced the same level of adoption as electric cars. The gap raises an important question: Why has progress been so limited, despite clear policy ambitions and financial support?
📉 Adoption Gap
- Thailand registers ~1.7M new motorcycles annually, 80% sold domestically.
- Despite government subsidies, electric motorbikes lag far behind electric cars.
- From 2019–2025:
- Only 79,674 e-motorbikes registered (0.0069% of 11.57M new bikes).
- In contrast, 241,492 battery EV cars registered (6.22% of new cars), with >21% share in 2025.
Missed targets
Under the government’s “30@30” plan, Thailand wants 30% of all vehicles made by 2030 to be zero-emission. For motorbikes, that means 675,000 produced each year and 650,000 on the road.
To get there, the government launched two subsidy schemes: EV3.0, which gives 18,000 baht per bike, and EV3.5, which offers 5,000 to 10,000 baht. This is the same incentive model for electric cars.
But the results have been uneven. Electric cars are racing ahead, while electric motorbikes are barely moving.
Between January 2019 and September 2025, only 79,674 electric motorbikes were registered, according to the Department of Land Transport. That’s a mere 0.0069% out of 11.57 million new motorbikes in total.
In contrast, battery electric cars soared to 241,492 new registrations, making up 6.22% of all new private cars. And the growth keeps surging. In just the first nine months of2025, electric cars already made up more than 21% of all new registrations.
Clearly, subsidies that worked for cars have fallen flat for motorbikes. Why aren’t Thai riders switching? What’s holding the market back?
The True Total Cost of Ownership (TCO)”The reasons go beyond price. The real issue lies in the total cost of ownership. And the lack of infrastructure and ecosystems to support electric motorbikes.
Yes, electric motorbikes are cheaper to run and maintain. But the overall cost isn’t necessarily lower once you add time, convenience, and battery limitations. Charging takes longer than filling a tank. Furthermore, a single charge doesn’t go very far, far shorter than a full tank of fuel.
⚡ Barriers to Adoption
- Total Cost of Ownership (TCO):
- Charging slower than refueling.
- Shorter range per charge.
- Frequent charging disrupts delivery/taxi riders (150–250 km/day).
- Battery replacement costs nearly equal to bike price.
- Infrastructure gaps:
- Few charging/swapping stations, especially outside cities.
- No common battery/connector standard across brands.
- Limited repair shops and trained mechanics.
For delivery riders and motorbike taxis who ride 150 to 250 kilometres a day, that means charging two or three times daily and losing valuable work hours waiting around.
Battery swapping services have emerged to solve this, but they’re still few and far between. Importantly, battery technology needs major improvement: higher capacity, faster charging, longer life.
Riders also worry about one big expense waiting down the road from battery replacement, which can cost nearly as much as the bike itself.
Missing infrastructure
Infrastructure is another big hurdle. Public charging points and battery-swapping stations are scarce, especially outside major cities.
Even worse, there is no common standard for batteries or charging connectors. Each motorbike brand has its own systems. Therefore, each manufacturer must invest in separate infrastructure. This is costly and inconvenient when users cannot share charging networks across brands.
Then there’s the question of consumer confidence. Many riders still doubt how well electric bikes handle Thailand’s hot weather, heavy rains, and flood-prone roads. Repair shops are also in short supply, with few mechanics trained in electric systems.
Financing doesn’t help either. Hire-purchase plans for electric bikes are far more limited than petrol ones, making it harder for low-income riders, the largest group of users, to make the switch.
Golden chances for Thai brands
Amid these challenges, there’s a surprising turn: Thai brands are now outperforming foreign competitors.
From 2019 to 2025, 92 electric motorbike brands entered the Thai market. Only 47 remain this year. Here’s the surprise: among the top ten best-selling brands, eight are Thai. Together, they make up nearly 80% of the market.
Why? Because Thai manufacturers understand Thai riders.
In China, most electric bikes are slow-speed models for short, city rides. Thailand, however, is market for high-speed motorbikes. Thai brands can better answer the riders’ need for performance and endurance that match local conditions, from bumpy roads to tropical storms.
This gives local brands a rare edge and a golden window for the government to help them grow stronger.
What needs to change
To make the shift to electric motorbikes happen, the government needs a clear, coordinated plan to tackle both structural barriers and consumer behavior.
The government must set a national standard for batteries and charging ports, so all brands can use the same infrastructure. This would cut costs and make charging networks viable. It must also expand public charging and swapping stations, especially in cities and secondary towns, to save riders time.
Supporting research and development is equally vital. Local firms need help improving battery life, performance, and reliability.
Meanwhile, financing support is key. More flexible loans or credit options could help thousands of riders afford electric bikes for the first time.
And finally, consumer confidence. Riders need to know what they buy will last. That means stronger product certification system, longer warranties, and reliable after-sales service.
In the longer run, tax incentives and subsidies for companies which produce key components domestically — especially batteries and other essential parts — will help build a strong supply chain, boost competitiveness, and help Thailand emerge as a regional leader in this industry.
If the government gets this right, it won’t just help the country cut carbon. It could turn the electric motorbike industry into a home-grown powerhouse as the country’s new growth engine.
Thailand has the market, the makers, and the motivation. All it needs now is the government’s will to fix what’s broken and put electric motorbikes on the move.
Nattaphorn Buayam is a researcher fellow at the Thailand Development and Research Institute (TDRI). Policy analyses from the TDRI appear in the Bangkok Post on alternate Wednesdays
