Thailand is preparing to abandon the subsidy-led policy that made it Southeast Asia's fastest-growing electric vehicle market, replacing it with a tax structure built to penalize carmakers that import rather than build. Finance Minister Ekniti Nitithanprapas said the excise tax on fully imported EVs could rise to around 30%, from 10% today — the first time the government has attached a number to the levy.

Lithium iron phosphate (LFP) cathode materials maker Aleees said its new precursor plant will be built in Tainan, with trial production set for January 2027 and commercial shipments in July 2027, as it prepares to fulfill a 20-year long-term agreement with a North American customer. The move marks a major turning point for the company as it meets surging demand for localized supply chains in North American energy storage and EV markets.

BYD is lining up solid-state batteries, faster charging, and higher-level automated driving around 2027, potentially removing several of the remaining barriers separating electric vehicles from gasoline cars.

Polestar, the Swedish electric vehicle (EV) brand backed by Geely Holding, is facing a major restructuring of its US operations. In its first-half 2026 financial report filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on September 3, Polestar said the US Department of Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) had denied its application for specific authorization under US connected vehicle regulations.

HS Hyosung Energy Solution Korea, a joint venture formed by South Korea's HS Hyosung Group and Belgian materials leader Umicore, signed a memorandum of understanding with Ulsan Metropolitan City on September 14 to construct a major silicon anode materials manufacturing base.