Cambodia Accelerates Green Transport Drive Learning from India's EV Expansion

PHNOM PENH, July 31, 2026 (KPT) – India’s rapid electric vehicle (EV) expansion, driven by government incentives, domestic manufacturing and infrastructure investment, offers lessons for Cambodia as the Kingdom targets 30,000 EVs by 2030. The Embassy of India in Phnom Penh said on Friday that the country had 5.67 million registered EVs as of February 2025, compared with around 50,000 in 2016. EV sales reached 2.08 million units in 2024, while their share of total vehicle sales rose from 0.7 percent in 2020 to 6.3 percent in 2024. The growth was supported by production‑linked incentives, electric public buses and investment in charging networks, innovation and research. India is also expanding domestic production, including Suzuki’s eVITARA, manufactured for export to more than 100 countries. The country aims for EVs to account for 30 percent of vehicles by 2030. Electric three‑wheelers have emerged as another major part of India’s transition, with the country accounting for 57 percent of global three‑wheeler EV sales in 2024. Cambodia, meanwhile, is stepping up its own EV transition through policy incentives, charging infrastructure and investment in vehicle assembly. EV registrations rose 127 percent in 2025 to 7,971 units, while more than 16,200 electric cars, motorcycles and three‑wheelers were registered nationwide as of March 2026. The government plans to invest at least $10 million in charging infrastructure, with more than 170 stations already approved. Policies are also being prepared to encourage businesses to convert logistics fleets, including refrigerated trucks, from diesel to electric power. Investment in EV manufacturing is emerging, with BYD developing an assembly facility in Preah Sihanouk province and an electric truck plant under construction in Pursat. India’s experience shows how policy support, local manufacturing and public‑private cooperation can accelerate EV adoption—areas Cambodia hopes to adapt as it builds its green transport ecosystem.