PHNOM PENH, Oct. 21 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia registered a total of 17,972 electric vehicles (EVs) between 2021 and September 2026, according to a Ministry of Public Works and Transport (MPWT) report on Wednesday.
The data highlights a massive acceleration in adoption this year. Approximately 7,609 EVs were registered between March and September 2026 alone, driven largely by global fuel price spikes triggered by the Middle East conflict.
In addition to electric cars, the Southeast Asian nation registered 6,178 electric motorcycles and three-wheelers during the same period.
"EVs are environmentally friendly, significantly reducing fuel costs and eliminating tailpipe emissions," MPWT Spokesperson Phan Rim told Xinhua.
He said Chinese brands currently dominate Cambodia's EV market.
Thong Mengdavid, deputy director at the China-ASEAN Studies Center of the Cambodia University of Technology and Science, said that widespread EV adoption provides immediate environmental and economic benefits.
"The transition is deeply linked to consumer cost constraints during tough economic times," he told Xinhua.
According to the Ministry of Commerce, retail regular gasoline cost 5,050 riels (1.24 U.S. dollars) per liter on Wednesday, while diesel stood at 5,550 riels (1.36 dollars) per liter. Spurred by the Middle East conflict since late February, regular gasoline and diesel prices in the kingdom have so far surged by 31 percent and 44 percent, respectively. ■
