International consulting firm Gartner predicts that by 2025, the global stock of electric vehicles will increase by 33% year-on-year to 85 million. China is expected to account for 58% of the global total.

The latest industry report released by Gartner shows that including cars, buses, trucks and heavy-duty trucks, the global stock of electric vehicles will reach 64 million in 2024 and is expected to increase by 33% in 2025 to 85 million.

Jonathan Davenport, senior research director at Gartner, analyzed on the 12th that the growth in sales of electric vehicles in China and Europe will be the main reason for the increase in the global stock of electric vehicles in 2025. It is expected that the stock of electric vehicles in these two markets will account for 82% of the global total, with China accounting for 58% and Europe 24%.

Gartner predicts that in terms of types of electric vehicles, pure electric vehicles will account for 73% of the total number of electric vehicles in 2025. Regionally, China's stock of electric vehicles is expected to be higher than the total stock of the rest of the world in 2025 and the next decade. The demand for electric vehicles in Europe and North America is expected to grow steadily.

As the sales of electric vehicles increase year by year, the problem of raw material shortage will become prominent. According to Gartner's prediction, by 2030, car manufacturers will be able to recycle 95% of electric vehicle batteries, thereby reducing this risk. Davenport's analysis points out that since the concentration of rare metals in batteries is higher than that in natural ores, used batteries can be regarded as highly enriched ores. If the recycling of used batteries can be vigorously carried out and the materials in used batteries and the waste generated during the manufacturing process can be fully utilized, the demand for mineral extraction can be reduced. At the same time, it can improve the overall commercial feasibility of electric vehicles by lowering battery prices. It can also prevent used batteries from being improperly disposed of or landfilled.

Low temperatures can have a certain impact on the driving range of pure electric vehicles. How to maintain the battery in winter?

1. Park the vehicle in an indoor garage. When parking, try to park the pure electric vehicle in the garage as much as possible. This can reduce the impact of low temperatures on the power battery and thus minimize the loss of range. In this way, at least the range of the pure electric vehicle will not be greatly reduced, and it will not affect the pure electric vehicle owners who need to use the car the next morning.

2. Choose to charge when the battery temperature is high. Low temperatures can also affect the charging efficiency of the battery. Therefore, when charging in winter, it is best to charge at any time. Charge immediately after using the vehicle. At this time, the battery temperature is high, and the charging efficiency is fast, which can ensure that the battery is fully charged effectively.

In addition, when charging in winter, try to find indoor charging piles. If there are no indoor charging conditions, it is best to charge outdoors when the temperature is the highest during the day. This is beneficial for improving battery activity, reducing range loss, increasing charging efficiency, and saving time.

3. Preheat the vehicle before departure. Pure electric vehicles are different from traditional fuel vehicles. Before using a pure electric vehicle, charge the battery and preheat it. During the charging process, the battery will gradually heat up. In this way, the coolant stored in the power battery pack will gradually heat up, so there will be no power "wasted", thereby improving the performance of the vehicle in winter.

4. Make full use of the kinetic energy recovery system. When driving out, pay attention to accelerating slowly, driving smoothly, and try to avoid sudden acceleration, sudden deceleration, emergency braking, and other aggressive driving modes. Because when driving aggressively, the battery of an electric vehicle needs to release a large amount of electricity to increase speed, which will cause the power to drop rapidly. A gentle driving mode can reduce energy consumption and extend the range as much as possible.

Recently, many friends have been teasing me, saying that their electric bikes don't fully charge when they use the community charging stations. Sometimes, they charge for a long time but still don't reach full capacity, and the battery drains quickly when they accelerate. They are quite puzzled and wonder if there's something fishy going on. Today, let's talk about this issue and figure out why these problems occur when charging electric bikes at community charging stations.

First, let's address the issue of not fully charging. Some friends say that their bikes charge fully at home in a few hours, but at the community charging stations, they charge for a long time and still don't reach full capacity. When they accelerate, the battery drains even faster. There was a case in a certain community where many residents reported that their electric bikes didn't fully charge at the charging stations. Under normal circumstances, an electric bike should be fully charged in about 8 hours, but in this case, it took 10 hours and still wasn't fully charged. When they accelerated, the battery level dropped by one bar in an instant. The staff at the charging station said that the charger and battery parameters of the electric bike didn't match. For example, if the battery is 60V, the standard charger should also be 60V. If a 48V charger is used, the input voltage is too low, and the charging time naturally extends, which explains why it couldn't be fully charged in 10 hours.

However, there are other reasons for not fully charging. Some owners have found that the charging company has tampered with the charging mode, reducing the output voltage, which makes it impossible for the electric bike to fully charge. Think about it, if the voltage is insufficient, can the battery be fully charged? Of course not. Another factor is the influence of the charging environment temperature. The optimal charging temperature for electric bike batteries is around 25 degrees Celsius. If the temperature is too low, like in the cold winter, the activity of the substances in the battery decreases, and the chemical conversion slows down. As a result, the charging time increases, and it's difficult to fully charge.

Now, let's talk about the slow charging issue. From a technical perspective, many community charging stations have insufficient power. Modern electric vehicles require a charging power of 22 to 120 kilowatts, but the power of community charging stations is often only 3 to 10 kilowatts. This is like using a small water pipe to fill a large bucket; it will take a long time. Therefore, the charging time is greatly extended. Moreover, charging stations that have been in use for a long time tend to age, and their efficiency decreases. Sometimes, they even break down and can't work properly. Power attenuation is also a problem; the actual output power is lower than the rated power, which definitely affects the charging speed.

The power supply network in the community can also limit the charging speed. Some communities have an old power supply environment or are under heavy electrical load, especially during peak hours when everyone is using electricity. At such times, the power supply becomes tight, and the charging speed of the charging stations slows down. It's like a narrow road with too many cars; the traffic can't be smooth. The same goes for charging.

Furthermore, some charging station operators might try to increase profits by adjusting the settings to deliberately slow down the charging speed. This way, the owners have to spend more time charging, and the operators can charge more. This is rather unscrupulous. Also, if the layout of the charging stations in the community is unreasonable and the number is insufficient, everyone has to queue up to charge, which reduces the overall charging efficiency. In addition, some communities lack intelligent management systems that can monitor and optimize the charging process in real time, which also affects the charging speed.

Lastly, some behaviors of the owners themselves can also affect the charging speed. For instance, some owners have bad charging habits, frequently charging incompletely or overcharging, which is not good for the connection of the charging cables and interfaces. Over time, this can affect the charging speed. Some owners don't know the maximum charging power their bikes support and choose inappropriate charging stations, which naturally slows down the charging speed. So, if you encounter problems like your electric vehicle not charging fully or charging slowly at the community charging stations, don't get too upset or immediately assume that the charging station operator is up to something. Try to look for the reasons from multiple aspects. Check if the charger and battery parameters don't match, if the charging environment temperature is not suitable, if the charging station itself has insufficient power or is aging, if there are any issues with the community power supply network, or even consider if your own charging habits are not good. If you can figure out all these problems clearly, you might be able to solve the charging problem.

In April 2025, the Thai automotive market is undergoing a significant transformation, with the traditional consumption pattern being challenged by the wave of electrification. Overall sales have slightly increased by 0.97% year-on-year, but have dropped sharply by 15.42% month-on-month. This superficial recovery actually conceals deep-seated problems in the market. Particularly, the sales of pickup trucks have remained sluggish, indicating that this long-time dominant model is facing unprecedented pressure.

During this period, household debt levels have remained high, and the conservative attitude of banks towards credit has restricted consumers' purchasing power. Meanwhile, Thailand's industrial output has declined, and private sector investment has been weak. The high cost of living has further eroded consumer confidence. These factors collectively have led to a lack of willingness for large-scale consumption, thus preventing the automotive market from escaping the "bottom oscillation" situation.

From a production perspective, the total vehicle production in April was 104,250 units, a slight decrease of 0.4% year-on-year, while the month-on-month decline was as high as 19.75%. Especially for traditional fuel vehicles, especially those for export, the production capacity has decreased significantly. The production of passenger cars dropped by 33.6% year-on-year, and the production of export-oriented fuel vehicles plummeted by 36.93%. This trend is not only influenced by international environmental regulations but also indicates that the export-oriented structure of Thailand's automotive industry is facing challenges.

In terms of exports, Thailand exported 65,730 vehicles in April, a year-on-year decrease of 6.31%. This is not only due to the model change cycle in overseas markets but also reflects the adaptation bottleneck of Thailand's main products under the upgrade of international regulations. In contrast to the sluggishness of traditional models, new energy vehicles performed vigorously in April. The sales of pure electric vehicles (BEV) reached 10,901 units, accounting for 23.1%, a year-on-year increase of 179.5%.

The rapid growth of electric vehicles not only boosted overall sales but also demonstrated that the local manufacturing system is rapidly adjusting its direction. Plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEV) also performed well, with a year-on-year increase of 720.45%. However, hybrid vehicles (HEV) saw a decline of 23.18%, indicating a rapid shift in market focus towards pure electric models. The production of electric vehicles also increased significantly, with year-on-year growth of 639.75% for BEV, 319.11% for PHEV, and 35.31% for HEV.

It is worth noting that Thailand achieved its first export of electric vehicles, although the quantity was only 660 units. This move symbolizes Thailand's efforts to transform into a manufacturing and export center for electric vehicles in Southeast Asia. In this wave of electrification, Chinese brands have begun to shine. BYD's new model, Sealion6, entered the market in April and sold 2,640 units, successfully ranking among the top five in sales, surpassing popular Japanese models such as Honda City and HR-V.

This not only proves the product strength of BYD but also indicates that Thai consumers' acceptance of Chinese electric vehicle brands is rapidly increasing. Although Toyota and Isuzu still dominate the market, their sales have declined significantly compared to the same period last year. Toyota Hilux saw a year-on-year decrease of 18.8%, and Isuzu D-Max dropped by 21.4%. All these factors are verifying the structural weakness of the pickup truck market.

Overall, the Thai automotive market in April 2025 is in the process of traditional fuel vehicles gradually stepping down from the main stage. New energy vehicles, driven by policy benefits, technological progress, and the strong promotion of foreign brands, are accelerating their penetration and reshaping the consumption pattern. The future Thai automotive market will be a fascinating collision between the wave of electrification and traditional models, which is worth looking forward to.