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The sustainability industry has been relatively overlooked over the years, if only because it’s not the one that brings in the biggest bucks. It’s kind of sad, when you think about it – people would rather invest in, say, fast fashion instead of preserving some semblance of a future for human beings.
With that in mind, I have to say it’s refreshing to read today’s premium article about Indonesia and Thailand battling it out to be the king of electric vehicles in Southeast Asia.
In an inverse of the Alien vs Predator tagline, this is a situation where whoever wins, we win. Anything that encourages EV use can only be good for the human race.
Today we look at:
- Indonesia and Thailand’s fight to be the king of the EV hill
- The US$3 million funding of a startup that makes sure genAI is working right
- Other newsy highlights such as Buyandship’s expanded series B round and TikTok’s introduction of genAI tools to brands and creators
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Baby, you can drive my car
Image credit: Timmy Loen
Future of the world – and humanity – aside, the EV battle between Indonesia and Thailand makes for compelling viewing. Both sides have strong in-built advantages and are offering some very attractive tax breaks for manufacturers and consumers alike.
There’s no clear favorite. I just hope both sides keep putting their all into this – and maybe inspire the rest of the region to be more environmentally friendly as well.
- I told that girl that my prospects were good: Thailand has the edge in terms of car manufacturing and export value, while Indonesia has vast reserves of nickel, a vital component in EV batteries.
- Working for peanuts is all very fine: Indonesia also benefits from lower labor costs compared to Thailand. The monthly wages of manufacturing workers in Indonesia averaged 2.96 million rupiah (US$188.66) in 2023, as opposed to 14,541 baht (US$399.23) in Thailand.
- I told that girl I could start right away: With its assembly know-how and readily available skilled workforce, Thailand has the advantage in terms of EV capabilities over Indonesia. Numerous leading automakers – such as Toyota, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz – have already established the foundation for EV infrastructure in Thailand.
Read more: Indonesia seeks to surpass Thailand as electric ‘Detroit of SEA’
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