Battery Electric Vehicle Readiness in Thailand, Lao PDR, and Vietnam: A Demand–Supply Assessment

Despite growing scholarly attention to electric vehicle adoption in Southeast Asia, no study has systematically compared battery electric vehicle (BEV) readiness across Thailand, Lao PDR, and Vietnam using a unified demand–supply framework. This paper develops and applies a seven-dimension BEV Country Readiness Assessment framework encompassing supply-side factors (parts and materials sourcing, manufacturing, and after-sales support), demand, and enabling environment (legal and regulatory, government support, and market development), with maturity scores (1–5) assigned across 16 sub-dimensions based on national statistics, industry reports, and primary field research conducted between August 2024 and March 2026. Thailand scores highest overall (3.43/5.0) as a regional production hub with balanced readiness; Vietnam follows (3.26/5.0) with the highest demand score driven by VinFast’s ecosystem; and Lao PDR scores lowest (1.95/5.0) yet exhibits a notably high EV/ICE registration ratio driven by fleet-led adoption in a very small absolute market. The findings reveal complementary rather than competitive roles within the regional BEV value chain, with energy security, supply chain dependency on China, and institutional capacity identified as critical determinants of long-term readiness.