Thailand EV Outlook 2026 provides a comprehensive assessment of the status and prospects of electric vehicle (EV) development in Thailand. One of its key findings is that the electrification of Thailand’s bus sector is progressing only slowly despite a supportive policy environment. Notably, the only significant increase in electric bus deployment occurs during the introduction of the Bangkok E-Bus Programme between 2021 and 2024. This trend provides evidence for the programme’s additionality and illustrates the tangible contribution that international carbon finance can make to decarbonise urban transport.
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Thailand EV Outlook 2026 highlights that EV adoption is expanding rapidly in the passenger car segment. At the same time, it finds that progress in public transport, motorcycles, heavy-duty vehicles, and two- and three-wheelers remains comparatively limited despite Thailand’s national EV vision, existing policy measures and support mechanisms, and policies supporting EV-grid integration.
This finding on buses within Thailand’s broader EV policy landscape is particularly relevant for Energy Absolute’s Bangkok E-Bus Programme (BE-BP), supported by the KliK Foundation. Authorised and implemented under the Swiss - Thai bilateral climate agreement under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, the programme supports the replacement of Bangkok’s private bus fleet from internal combustion engines to electric vehicles, thereby achieving substantial emission reductions.
The Outlook notes that, Thailand has made important progresses thanks to comprehensive measures to support the transition to electric mobility. But challenges still remain in achieving Thailand’s EV30@30 targets, underlining the need for further policy refinement. According to the report, only decisive action and the full implementation of existing commitments will put Thailand on a pathway towards carbon neutrality by 2050. In 2025, EV adoption among vehicles regulated under the Land Transport Act, including buses and trucks, stands at just 0.9%.
The graphs presented in the report reveal a striking pattern across vehicle categories (see graph 1): while adoption rates for several vehicle segments are increasing, the deployment of new electric buses remains minimal outside the implementation period of the Bangkok E-Bus Programme. This suggests that the programme played a pivotal role in accelerating the uptake of electric buses in the capital city at a time when broader market momentum was limited.
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Graph 1
The Outlook notes that these initial deployments of electric buses, which are demonstrably linked to Energy Absolute’s Article 6.2 programme, have created an important foundation for Thailand’s future transition. According to the report, they provide evidence that large-scale expansion of electric buses is feasible in principle, particularly when supported by appropriate financial support mechanisms.
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* The Thailand EV Outlook 2026 was officially launched on 3 July 2026 by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, together with the King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi (KMUTT). Supporting partners: Federal Ministry for the Environment, Climate Action, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety of the Federal Republik of Germany, International Climate Initiative (IKI), Thailand’s Office of Transport and Traffic Policy and Planning (OTP), Thai - German Cooperation on Energy, Mobility and Climate (TGC EMC). Consortium partners: KMUTT, Mobility & Vehicle – Technology Research Center (MOVE), Electric Vehicle Association of Thailand (EVAT), Agora Verkehrswende, and Fraunhofer.