PHNOM PENH, July 10 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia has registered a total of 1,614 electric vehicles (EVs) as of June 2024, said a news release from the Ministry of Public Works and Transport on Tuesday.
The three most popular EV brands in the Southeast Asian country are China's BYD, Japan's Toyota and Tesla, the news release said, adding that the kingdom had recorded 658 BYD, 261 Toyota and 186 Tesla EVs.
"From day to day, EVs have gained momentum in Cambodia, as more and more people are interested in using them," the news release said. "Using EVs saves on fuel costs, with low or zero emissions."
Currently, EV charging stations are available at 18 locations in the country.
According to the news release, the kingdom has registered 914 electric scooters and 440 three-wheeler electric vehicles so far.
Cambodia has been encouraging people to use EVs and electric motorcycles, as they are environment-friendly and save users' money. The government is committed to having 40 percent of electric cars and urban buses, and 70 percent of electric motorbikes by 2050 in order to reduce carbon emissions.
To achieve this goal, the government has reduced import duties on EVs since 2021 to about 50 percent lower than taxes on traditional internal combustion engine vehicles.
Moeurng Sokmeng, a sales supervisor at Mingyang Guoji Co., Ltd., which is the sole agent of China's Hongqi Brand in Cambodia, said since the government has encouraged the imports of EVs, consumers' interest has significantly increased because they are aware of their advantages such as saving on fuel costs and environmental friendliness.
"Currently, we have sold out a lot of EVs, both small-scale and large-scale EVs, and our EVs have received considerable support from consumers," she told Xinhua.
Udom Pisey, an EV manager at Car4you Co., Ltd., which imports Letin Mengo EVs from China, said EVs have far fewer moving parts than petrol or diesel vehicles, so maintenance and repair costs are cheaper than internal combustion vehicles.
"Using EVs not only saves money on fuel, but also reduces air pollution," she told Xinhua.■
