Southeast Asia was already going electric. Then war broke out in the Middle East and it started going faster
5-MIN READ5-MINAidan JonesandUshar DanielePublished: 10:00am, 8 Mar 2026A man in a Mercedes drives up to a Bangkok forecourt, cash in hand, ready to buy an electric vehicle he hadn’t planned on owning.
Southeast Asia’s EV revolution has found a new accelerant.
Cash buyers had been streaming in all week, spooked by rising diesel prices and hunting for second-hand battery-powered cars. “One customer drove up in a Mercedes,” he said. “Ready to buy an EV on the spot.”
US President Donald Trump seeks to justify striking Iran amid shifting White House account
US President Donald Trump seeks to justify striking Iran amid shifting White House accountSuch far-reaching calamities can act as a catalyst, but the longer-term transition was already well under way.
