According to Xinhua News Agency, data recently released by the Netherlands' National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed that the total number of passenger cars in the Netherlands reached approximately 9.4 million units at the beginning of 2026, up nearly 2% from a year earlier, with nearly all of the increase attributable to electrified car models. Currently, the number of fully or partially electric-powered vehicles in the Netherlands has exceeded 2 million units, up nearly 6% from a year earlier, accounting for about one-fifth of total automobile ownership.

SMM News: As of March 20, 2026, the market price for Praseodymium-Neodymium (Pr-Nd) metal in China stabilized temporarily at 890,000–910,000 RMB/ton. This article utilizes the SMM Pr-Nd Terminal Demand Calculation Model to dissect the demand logic for 2026 across three core sectors—New Energy Vehicles (NEVs), Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) vehicles, and Wind Power—explaining the current supply-demand dilemma facing the NdFeB magnet and broader Pr-Nd markets.

Shanghai Yangpu District launched the first batch of 2026 auto consumption voucher activities on February 26. The total activity fund was 10 million yuan. Car purchasers needed to buy fuel or new energy passenger cars meeting China 6b emission standards from designated auto retail enterprises in Yangpu District and complete vehicle registration procedures with Shanghai's public security traffic management department. The vouchers were divided into two tiers: for car prices between 100,000 and 300,000 yuan, a 2,000-yuan voucher could be claimed; for prices above 300,000 yuan, a 3,000-yuan voucher was available. The activity was expected to drive new auto sales to reach 900 million yuan, promoting local auto consumption and economic development.

According to precious metals and refinery services provider Heraeus, the gold price continues to show a consolidation phase. Following record highs at the end of December, the market is currently moving sideways within a clearly defined trading range rather than forming a pronounced upward or downward trend.

According to data from the Passenger Car Association, China's passenger vehicle retail market showed some changes in January this year. Total retail sales reached 1.544 million units, down 13.9% YoY. By segment, passenger NEV retail sales were 596,000 units, also declining, with a drop of 20%. However, in terms of exports, passenger NEVs demonstrated strong growth momentum. Exports in January reached 286,000 units, up 103.6% YoY, accounting for 49.6% of total passenger vehicle exports.

According to Reuters, the Indian government plans to soon introduce incentive measures to encourage companies to build lithium and nickel processing plants. India aims to raise electric vehicle penetration to 30% for passenger cars and 80% for two-wheelers by 2030, but currently remains highly dependent on China for mineral processing technology. Under the government proposal, India plans to offer capital subsidies of up to 15% for lithium and nickel processing projects launched on or after April 1, 2026. The incentives would be available for five years and subject to caps as well as sales and project scale thresholds. Minimum capacity requirements are set at 30,000 tonnes for lithium processing plants and 50,000 tonnes for nickel plants.

On June 17, 2025, the 2025 SMM (2nd) Southeast Asia Automotive Supply Chain Conference , hosted by SMM, successfully concluded at the Hyatt Regency Bangkok Sukhumvit in Bangkok, Thailand! The conference brought together experts, scholars, corporate representatives, and government officials from the domestic and overseas automotive industries to discuss new trends and models in the development of the automotive industry, share the latest technologies and innovative achievements, promote collaborative development and cooperation within the automotive industry, facilitate the improvement and enhancement of the industry chain, help Chinese automotive industry chain enterprises better understand overseas investment environments, leverage the complementary advantages of various countries and regions in the automotive industry, and jointly support the healthy and sustainable development of the automotive industry! Yossapong Laoonual, Honorary Chairman of the Electric Vehicle Association of Thailand (EVA) and Director of the Mobility and Vehicle Technology Research Center (MOVE) at King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi (KMUTT) , stated that Thailand's electric vehicle vision (the 30@30 Policy) sets an ambitious goal of achieving 30% zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) in the country's total production and 50% in newly registered vehicles by 2030. To achieve this goal, the government provides subsidies to original equipment manufacturers producing cars, pickup trucks, and motorcycles. The planned annual capacity for EVs exceeds 500,000 units, while the actual production in 2024 was 9,688 units, representing a 58-fold increase compared to the entire year of 2023. Although internal combustion engine vehicles still dominate the market, the growth rate of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) is very rapid, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 138% for BEVs from 2020 to 2024. By 2024, the market penetration rate of electric four-wheelers had reached 13%. Asst. Prof. Uthane Supatti, Ph.D., Vice Chairman of the Electric Vehicle Association of Thailand (EVAT) , stated, when referring to the development of charging infrastructure in Thailand, that after 2023, the deployment of charging piles in Thailand has reached a significant turning point. Data shows that the number of charging piles increased by an astonishing 306.2% YoY in 2023. By 2023, the number of charging piles had already surpassed the original target set for 2025. However, there is still significant room for improvement to achieve the 2030 goal, and continued efforts in construction are needed. In addition, Yao Xinying, Director of SMM Steel Product Research , released the SMM Thailand Metal Prices and Thailand Steel Prices to help enterprises identify fair prices and reduce transaction costs. She stated that the Thai manufacturing industry still faces numerous obstacles in price referencing and settlement, such as the lack of authoritative price benchmarks, low price transparency, an imperfect settlement system, and susceptibility to market manipulation. SMM, closely connected with the upstream and downstream of the Thai metal industry chain, has launched the SMM Thailand Metal Prices to facilitate market transactions. Additionally, SMM has specially designed a networking session for automakers, bringing together over a dozen well-known domestic and overseas automakers, including BYD and BMW, to provide dedicated time for supply and demand exchanges between attending guests and automakers, facilitating collaboration discussions! 》Click to view the live video of the conference 》Click to view the live photo gallery of the conference 》Click to view the special coverage of the conference Opening Remarks Speaker: Logan Lu, CEO of SMM 》Click to view details of the on-site speech Guest Speaker Session Speech Topic: Latest Policies in Southeast Asia's Automotive Industry Guest Speaker: Yossapong Laoonual, Honorary Chairman of the Electric Vehicle Association of Thailand (EVA) and Director of the Mobility and Vehicle Technology Research Center (MOVE), King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi (KMUTT) Thailand's EV Vision (30@30 Policy) Thailand's EV Vision (30@30 Policy) sets an ambitious target of achieving 30% zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) in the country's total production and 50% in new vehicle registrations by 2030. To achieve this, the government is providing subsidies to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) producing cars, pickup trucks, and motorcycles. 2024 Capacity and Market Performance The planned annual production capacity for EVs exceeds 500,000 units, with actual production in 2024 reaching 9,688 units, a 58-fold increase compared to the full year of 2023. Despite internal combustion engine vehicles still dominating the market, the growth rates of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) have been very rapid, with BEVs achieving a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 138% from 2020 to 2024. By 2024, the market penetration rate of electric four-wheelers has reached 13%. Infrastructure Development By 2024, the ratio of electric passenger vehicles to charging stations is 28, and the number of DC charging piles has exceeded the 2025 target by 40%. These charging piles are mainly distributed in gas stations, department stores, office buildings, and other locations. Challenges Faced In Thailand's four-wheeled EV market, Chinese OEMs have already taken a dominant position and are benefiting from the 30@30 policy. To enhance the competitiveness of the local automotive industry, local auto parts suppliers should actively integrate into the global supply chain and collaborate with Chinese OEMs to improve price competitiveness and enhance technological capabilities. 》EVA Thailand Shares: Thailand's EV Outlook - Opportunities and Challenges Automotive Brand Building and Differentiation Strategies in the Southeast Asian Market Guan Xin, Deputy General Manager of Changan Automobile's Southeast Asia Division Zhang Cong, General Manager of Geely Radar Thailand Pichayuth Vongpattanasin, Vice President of Omoda&Jaecoo (Thailand) Co., Ltd. Roundtable Discussion: Pathways for Building and Optimizing Localized Supply Chains in Southeast Asia Guests: Martin Knoss, Regional President for Passenger Cars, Commercial Vehicles, and Off-Road Vehicles in the ASEAN Market Segment, Powertrain Solutions Division, Robert Bosch Automotive Technology (Thailand) Co., Ltd. Peter Klöpfer, Senior Manager, Rutronik Yoshinobu Egawa, Head of China Region, SIIX Corporation Ma Ming, General Manager, Joyson Safety Systems (Thailand) Guan Xin, Deputy General Manager of Changan Automobile's Southeast Asia Division Speech Topic: SMM Thailand Metal Price Launch & Thailand Steel Price Release - Discovering Fair Prices and Reducing Transaction Costs Guest Speaker: Yao Xinying, Director of Steel Product Research, SMM Why Launch SMM Thailand Metal Prices? The Thai manufacturing industry still faces numerous obstacles in terms of price reference and settlement. 1. Lack of an authoritative price benchmark Thailand lacks an independent third-party price publishing platform, resulting in a lack of unified and credible price reference standards for metal trading. This makes it difficult for buyers and sellers to reach fair pricing agreements, exacerbating market price confusion. 2. Low price transparency Due to the absence of professional price information disclosure channels, metal trading price data is scattered and not publicly available. Market participants are unable to obtain timely and accurate market information, increasing the difficulty of price discovery and the risk of trading decisions. 》SMM Thailand Metal Price Launch Event & Thailand Steel Price Release - Discovering Fair Prices and Reducing Trading Costs Roundtable Discussion: Southeast Asia Automotive Supply Chain - Import and Local Matters (Services, Prices, Landing Support Possibilities) Dong Rujun, Senior Overseas Market Manager, SMM Wu Zhengguo, Operations Director, Taichengfa Co., Ltd. Wu Zhongxian, Deputy General Manager, International Trade Company, CITIC Pacific Special Steel Group Co., Ltd. Bai He, General Manager, RTM International Aluminum Division, Mitsubishi Corporation Yingzhang Liang, Head of Sustainability, Metals & Mining, Asia Pacific, Bloomberg Intelligence Shine Peng, Sales General Manager, FedEx Speech Topic: Accelerating the Development of Thailand's EV Ecosystem Guest Speaker: Asst. Prof. Uthane Supatti Ph.D., Vice Chairman, Electric Vehicle Association of Thailand (EVAT) Transformation of Transportation Modes in Thailand Traditional transportation modes include speedboats, traditional buses, and traditional trains. After improvements, electric taxis, electric buses, and electric motorbike taxis have emerged. Following electrification development, subways, trams, and electric boats have also come into people's view. Thailand's EV Vision - The "30@30" Policy Thailand has set EV adoption and production targets for 2025 and 2030. By 2030, the following goals will be achieved: zero-emission vehicles will account for 30% of Thailand's total vehicle production; zero-emission vehicles will account for 50% of the country's vehicle usage. Passenger Vehicle Production: As of 2024, Thailand's total sedan production reached 1,468,997 units, a YoY decrease of 20%. Among them, passenger vehicle production was 558,440 units, a YoY decrease of 13.5%. Pure electric passenger vehicle production was 9,688 units, a YoY surge of 5,807.3%. 》Current Status of Thailand's EV Industry - How to Accelerate the Development of Thailand's EV Ecosystem? Roundtable Discussion: Accelerated Electrification and Localization Progress of Core Components in Thailand Xiaolong Xu, Deputy General Manager, Inovance United Power System (Thailand) Co., Ltd. Zhibiao Fu, Plant Manager, Shanghai Edrive (Thailand) Co., Ltd. Tongkarn Kaewchalermtong, Chair of the Transport and Logistics Working Group, ASEAN Federation of Engineering Organizations (AFEO) Sizhan Chen, Chairman of the Automotive Parts Industry Association, Federation of Thai Industries, and Deputy Secretary General, Thai Auto Parts Manufacturers Association Haofeng, Business Director, Gotion High-tech (Thailand) Co., Ltd. Presentation Topic: Industrialization Breakthrough of Ultra-Thin Soft Magnetic Materials for High-Efficiency Drive Motors Guest Speaker: Lugang Zhan, Executive Deputy General Manager, Hunan Hongwang New Materials Technology Co., Ltd. (At the speaker's request, this presentation will not be publicly available) Roundtable Discussion: Charging Pile Infrastructure: Unlocking the Last Mile of Southeast Asia's New Energy Revolution Liming Zhao, Overseas Sales Director for Southeast Asia, Teld International Soravis Sithicharoen, Charging Pile Business Head, Gentari Green Mobility Thailand Chavarin Chavarangkul, Charging Pile Head and Sales Director, Innopower Company Limited Presentation Topic: Operational Status of Lithium Carbonate Futures Guest Speaker: Bing Leng, Deputy General Manager, GFEX (At the speaker's request, this presentation will not be publicly available) Presentation Topic: Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC): A Hub of Prosperity Opportunities Guest Speaker: Songwut Apirakkhit, Executive Head of Next-Generation Automotive Sector, Eastern Economic Corridor Roundtable Discussion: Investment Models in Southeast Asia: Pros and Cons of Joint Ventures and Wholly Owned Subsidiaries Weien Lin, Director and Deputy General Manager, Thai Long United Automotive Co., Ltd. Kuixian Lin, Founder of Jiahua Group and CEO of NexV, Sdn Bhd Bin Zhao, President, Thai-Chinese Rayong Industrial Zone Development Co., Ltd. June 17 Main Conference Presentation Topic: Rizhao Steel's ESP Automotive Steel Supports Green and Efficient Development in the Automotive Industry Guest Speaker: Xutao Zheng, Deputy Director of Technology and Quality Department, Technical Center Director, Rizhao Steel Holding Group Co., Ltd. (At the speaker's request, this presentation will not be publicly available) Roundtable Discussion: How Southeast Asia's Local Supply Chain Serves European and US Markets Tuan Vi, Vice President of Supply Chain and Logistics for Asia Pacific, Schaeffler Vietnam Sridhar Ramakrishna, Application and Engineering Director, Tenneco Presentation Topic: Smart Logistics Systems and Technologies Facilitating Global Supply Chain Expansion Guest Speaker: Chunlong Jin, Deputy General Manager, Shanghai Boyi International Logistics Co., Ltd. (At the speaker's request, this presentation will not be publicly available) Roundtable Discussion: Potential Synergies in Battery Cell Chemical Materials Across Southeast Asia Logan Lu, CEO, SMM Tony, General Manager, Sunwoda EV Energy (Thailand) Co., Ltd. Rui Liu, Chairman, Innovate (Malaysia) New Materials Technology Co., Ltd. Changxi Jin, Sales Director for Japan, South Korea, and Southeast Asia, Electrolyte Division, Guangzhou Tinci Materials Technology Co., Ltd. Shuzhan Yang, Deputy General Manager, BTR New Materials Group Co., Ltd., and Chairman, BTR Indonesia Automaker Demand Matching Session At the 2025 SMM (2nd) Southeast Asia Automotive Supply Chain Conference , SMM has specially designed a networking session for automakers, bringing together over a dozen renowned domestic and overseas automakers to provide attendees with dedicated time for supply and demand discussions and collaboration opportunities! 》Click to view the list of automakers participating in the exchange meeting Sign-in 》Click to view more highlights from the event With this, the 2025 SMM Southeast Asia (Thailand) Automotive Supply Chain Conference has come to a successful conclusion Thank you for the support of all industry colleagues See you next year! 》Click to view the special report on the 2025 SMM Southeast Asia (Thailand) Automotive Supply Chain Conference

At the 2025 SMM (2nd) Southeast Asia Automotive Supply Chain Conference hosted by SMM, Yossapong Laoonual, Honorary Chairman of the Electric Vehicle Association of Thailand (EVA) and Director of the Mobility and Vehicle Technology Research Center (MOVE) at King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi (KMUTT), shared insights on the topic of "Thailand's EV Outlook." Overview of the ASEAN EV Market Promotion Policies for EVs in ASEAN Countries Thailand's EV Vision – The 30@30 Policy Objectives 30@30 : By 2030, Thailand aims to achieve a 30% share of zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) in total production and a 50% adoption rate domestically. Actual Production in 2024 Passenger Cars: 1,468,997 units Motorcycles: 2,426,367 units Total EV Production: 208,506 units Adoption and Production Targets for 2025 and 2030 Among them, battery electric vehicles (BEVs): 9,688 units (up 5807.30% YoY); plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs): 7,981 units (down 11.22% YoY); hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs): 190,837 units (up 30.58% YoY) Expansion of EV Manufacturing Investment in Thailand Planned EV production capacity exceeds 500,000 units per year The number of newly registered new-type EVs in Thailand is as follows: EV Adoption Trends (2019-2024) Before 2022, the EV adoption rate remained below 1%. However, it surged from 1.47% in 2022 to 11.26% in 2023. It is expected that by May 2025, this figure will further increase to 19%, indicating a significant rise in the appeal and acceptance of EVs in the market. Despite the continuous increase in the EV adoption rate, the total number of vehicles has decreased compared to the data from 2023 and 2024, reflecting changes in the market structure. Charging Infrastructure – Number of DC Charging Piles Since 2023, the number of charging piles has seen a significant turning point, with a substantial increase in deployments. In 2023, the number of charging piles surged by 306.2% compared to the previous year. As of 2023, the number of charging piles has exceeded the original expected target for 2025. However, significant progress is still needed to achieve the 2030 target. Summary Thailand's EV Vision (30@30 Policy) Thailand's EV Vision (30@30 Policy) sets an ambitious goal of achieving a 30% share of zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) in the country's total production and a 50% share in newly registered vehicles by 2030. To achieve this goal, the government provides subsidies to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) that produce cars, pickup trucks, and motorcycles. 2024 Capacity and Market Performance The planned annual capacity for EVs exceeds 500,000 units, while the actual production in 2024 was 9,688 units, representing a 58-fold increase compared to the entire year of 2023. Although internal combustion engine vehicles still dominate the market, the growth rate of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) is very rapid, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 138% for BEVs from 2020 to 2024. By 2024, the market penetration rate of electric four-wheelers had reached 13%. Infrastructure Development By 2024, the ratio of electric passenger vehicles to charging stations was 28, and the number of DC charging piles had exceeded the 2025 target by 40%. These charging piles are mainly distributed in places such as gas stations, department stores, and office buildings. Challenges Faced In the Thai four-wheeler EV market, Chinese OEMs have already taken a dominant position and are benefiting from the 30@30 policy. To enhance the competitiveness of the local automotive industry, local automotive parts suppliers should actively integrate into the global supply chain and collaborate with Chinese OEMs to improve price competitiveness and enhance technological capabilities. 》Click to view the special report on the 2025 SMM (2nd) Southeast Asia Automotive Supply Chain Conference

In recent years, Southeast Asia has gradually become an important period in the global automotive industry, leveraging its unique geographical advantages, abundant resources, and vast consumer market, which contain rich supply and demand opportunities. As a regional leader, Thailand has attracted the attention of many Chinese NEV manufacturers. From June 16-17, 2025, the 2025 SMM (2nd) Southeast Asia Automotive Supply Chain Conference , hosted by SMM, will be grandly held at the Hyatt Regency Bangkok Sukhumvit in Bangkok, Thailand! At this conference, SMM has invited experts, scholars, enterprise representatives, and government officials from the domestic and overseas automotive industries to gather together, jointly explore new trends and models in the development of the automotive industry, and share the latest technologies and innovative achievements. This grand event aims to promote the coordinated development and cooperation of the automotive industry, facilitate the improvement and enhancement of the industry chain, help Chinese automotive industry chain enterprises better understand the overseas investment environment, fully leverage the complementary advantages of various countries and regions in the automotive industry, and jointly drive the healthy and sustainable development of the automotive industry! SMM will provide live video, photo, and text coverage of this summit throughout the event. Stay tuned! 》Click to view the live video of the conference 》Click to view the live photos of the conference 》Click to view the special report on the conference Opening Remarks Guest Speaker: Logan Lu, CEO of SMM 08:50-09:00 Latest Policies on the Southeast Asia Automotive Industry 09:00-09:20 Automotive Brand Building and Differentiation Strategies in the Southeast Asia Market Guan Xin, Deputy General Manager of Changan Automobile Southeast Asia Business Unit Zhang Cong, General Manager of Geely Radar Thailand Pichayuth Vongpattanasin, Vice President of Omoda&Jaecoo (Thailand) Co., Ltd. 09:20-09:50 Construction and Optimization Paths for Localized Supply Chains in Southeast Asia Guests: Martin Knoss, Regional President for Passenger Cars, Commercial Vehicles, and Off-Road Vehicles in the ASEAN Market Segment, Powertrain Solutions Division, Robert Bosch Automotive Technology (Thailand) Co., Ltd. Peter Klöpfer, Senior Manager of Rutronik Yoshinobu Egawa, Head of SIIX Corporation in China Ma Ming, General Manager of Joyson Safety Systems (Thailand) Guan Xin, Deputy General Manager of Changan Automobile Southeast Asia Business Unit 10:15-11:00 Speech Topic: SMM Thailand Metal Price Release Conference & Thailand Steel Prices Release - Discovering Fair Prices and Reducing Transaction Costs Guest Speaker: Yao Xinying, Director of Steel Research at SMM 11:00-11:10 Southeast Asia Automotive Supply Chain - Import and Local Matters (Services, Prices, and Landing Support Possibilities) Dong Rujun, Senior Overseas Market Manager of SMM Wu Zhengguo, Operations Director of Thai Chengfa Co., Ltd. Wu Zhongxian, Deputy General Manager of the International Trade Company of CITIC Pacific Special Steel Group Co., Ltd. Bai He, General Manager of the RTM International Aluminum Business Unit under Mitsubishi Corporation Leung Wing Cheung, Head of Asia Pacific Metals & Mining, Sustainability, Bloomberg Intelligence Shine Peng, Sales General Manager of FedEx 11:10-11:45 Speech Topic: Dedicated to EVAT Guest Speaker: Asst. Prof. Uthane Supatti Ph.D., Vice Chairman of the Electric Vehicle Association of Thailand (EVAT) 13:30-13:50 Research on the Acceleration of Electrification and Localization Progress of Core Components in Thailand Xu Xiaolong, Deputy General Manager, Inovance United Power System (Thailand) Co., Ltd. Fu Zhibiao, Factory Director, Shanghai E-Drive (Thailand) Co., Ltd. Tongkarn Kaewchalermtong, Chair of the Transport and Logistics Working Group, ASEAN Federation of Engineering Organizations (AFEO) Chen Sizhan, Chair of the Auto Parts Industry Association, Federation of Thai Industries, and Deputy Secretary General, Thai Auto Parts Manufacturers Association Hao Feng, Business Director, Gotion New Energy (Thailand) Co., Ltd. 13:50-14:35 Speech Topic: Industrialisation Breakthrough of Ultra-thin Soft Magnetic Materials for High-efficiency Drive Motors Guest Speaker: Zhan Lugang, Executive Deputy General Manager, Hunan Hongwang New Material Technology Co., Ltd. 14:35-14:55 Charging Pile Infrastructure: Unlocking the Last Mile of the New Energy Revolution in Southeast Asia Zhao Liming, Overseas Sales Director, Southeast Asia Region, TELD International Soravis Sithicharoen, Head of Charging Pile Business, Gentari Green Mobility Thailand Chavarin Chavarangkul, Head of Charging Pile Business and Sales Director, Innopower Company Limited 15:20-16:05 Speech Topic: Operational Status of Lithium Carbonate Futures Guest Speaker: Leng Bing, Deputy General Manager, Guangzhou Futures Exchange (GFEX) 16:05-16:25 Speech Topic: Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC): Where Prosperity Begins Guest Speaker: Songwut Apirakkhit, Executive Head of the Next-Generation Automotive Sector, Eastern Economic Corridor 16:25-16:45 Selection of Investment and Factory Construction Models in Southeast Asia: Analysis of the Pros and Cons of Joint Ventures and Wholly-owned Enterprises Lin Weien, Deputy General Manager and Director, Tailong United Automobile Co., Ltd. Lin Kuixian, Founder of Jiahu Group and CEO of Sdn Bhd NexV Zhao Bin, President, Thai-Chinese Rayong Industrial Zone Development Co., Ltd. 16:45-17:30 June 17 Main Conference Speech Topic: Rizhao Steel's ESP Automotive Steel Supports Green and Efficient Development of the Automotive Industry Guest Speaker: Zheng Xutao, Deputy Director of the Technical Quality Department and Director of the Technology Center, Rizhao Steel Holding Group Co., Ltd. 09:00-09:20 How Can the Local Supply Chain in Southeast Asia Serve the European and US Markets? Tuan Vi, Vice President of Supply Chain and Logistics, Asia-Pacific Region, Schaeffler Vietnam Xu Xinyang, Assistant General Manager, IKD Co., Ltd. Sridhar Ramakrishna, Director of Applications and Engineering, Tenneco 09:20-10:05 Possibility of Linkage of Battery Cell Chemical Materials in Southeast Asia Logan Lu, CEO, SMM Tony, General Manager, Sunwoda Automotive Energy Technology (Thailand) Co., Ltd. Liu Rui, Chairman, Innoway (Malaysia) New Material Technology Co., Ltd. Kim Chang-seok, Sales Director for Japan, South Korea, and Southeast Asia Region, Electrolyte Business Division, Guangzhou Tinci Materials Technology Co., Ltd. Yang Shuzhan, Deputy General Manager of BTR New Material Group Co., Ltd., Chairman of BTR Indonesia 10:30-11:15 Automaker Demand Matchmaking Meeting 14:00-17:30 》Click to View the Special Report on the 2025 SMM Southeast Asia (Thailand) Automotive Supply Chain Conference

Recently, the First Hainan Free Trade Port Hydrogen Energy Vehicle Industry Development Seminar was held in Haikou City, Hainan Province. Shanghai Shunhua New Energy System Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "Shunhua New Energy") signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Hainan Haima Automobile Co., Ltd. and Sinopec (Hainan) Branch to jointly establish Hainan Free Trade Port's first zero-carbon emission automotive ecosystem covering the "production-storage-refueling-utilization" entire industry chain. This marks a substantive step forward in the industrialisation of hydrogen energy vehicles in Hainan, providing crucial support for achieving the industrialisation goal of hydrogen energy vehicles in Hainan by 2030. Hainan's Dual Advantages Propel Hydrogen Energy Industry onto Fast Track of Development Leveraging its policy advantages and geographical location, Hainan Free Trade Port is accelerating the layout of the hydrogen energy industry. According to the Medium and Long-Term Plan for the Development of Hainan's Hydrogen Energy Industry (2023-2035), Hainan will promote the commercial replacement of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles in stages in fields such as cold chain logistics vehicles, short-haul heavy-duty trucks, and tourist buses, gradually expanding into the passenger vehicle market. Huang Wencong, Deputy Director-General of the Hainan Provincial Department of Industry and Information Technology, pointed out that Hainan's unique geographical closed-loop characteristics and differentiated application scenarios provide a favorable market environment for hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. Meanwhile, relying on the "early and pilot implementation" policy advantages of the Free Trade Port, Hainan provides a testing ground for formulating standards for the hydrogen energy industry. Lu Guogang, Vice Chairman of Haima Automobile and General Manager of Hainan Haima, analyzed that with breakthroughs in core localisation technologies, when the annual production of hydrogen energy vehicles exceeds the 10,000-unit threshold, the material cost of complete vehicles is expected to be on par with or even lower than that of pure electric vehicles of the same class. It is projected that by 2030, the usage cost of hydrogen energy vehicles in Hainan will drop to 0.25 yuan per kilometer, comparable to that of pure electric vehicles. By then, the province's hydrogen vehicle ownership may exceed 10,000 units, with 66 supporting hydrogen refueling stations." To address the dual bottlenecks of scarce hydrogen energy resources and high hydrogen prices hindering the current development of the hydrogen energy industry, Zhang Yu, founder of the Hydrogen Energy Branch of the China Industrial Development Promotion Association, suggested that Hainan could rely on abandoned power resources from renewable energy sources such as PV and wind power to deploy local hydrogen production projects, thereby solving the problem of high hydrogen supply costs. To provide a technological pathway for resolving the contradiction between "hydrogen shortage" and "high hydrogen prices," Shunhua New Energy will deploy multiple hydrogen refueling stations around regional hydrogen production centers, constructing a "parent station + several child stations" asteroid-shaped hydrogen refueling network. Shunhua New Energy's Innovative Projects Accelerate the Commercialization Process of Hydrogen Energy As a leading domestic supplier of overall solutions for hydrogen energy systems, Shunhua New Energy plans to commence the construction of an asteroid-shaped hydrogen refueling station infrastructure network by the end of 2025, with priority given to promotion in Haikou and Sanya. "The "Asteroid Plan" is an implementation plan for the phased and rapid large-scale promotion of fuel cell vehicles (FCVs), with passenger cars as the most-traded contract car models. It also involves the construction of a hydrogen refueling network, primarily consisting of small 70MPa hydrogen refueling stations (in a combined oil-hydrogen refueling mode), supplemented by medium-sized 35MPa/70MPa hydrogen refueling stations (in a pure hydrogen mode). Additionally, it includes the construction of hydrogen source infrastructure for hydrogen production from renewable energy sources (supplemented by industrial by-product hydrogen) and nuclear power-based hydrogen production. Sunrise New Energy will leverage its extensive experience in hydrogen storage and transportation equipment, as well as hydrogen refueling equipment solutions, to assist Hainan in creating a replicable hydrogen energy commercialization template. This will achieve the dual objectives of optimizing construction costs and improving operational efficiency, providing infrastructure support for the large-scale development of the industry. As of now, the Haima 7X-H hydrogen fuel cell vehicle demonstration operation project has accumulated over 2 million kilometers of safe driving, serving the Boao Forum for Asia, the China International Consumer Products Expo, and the World New Energy Vehicle Congress, achieving a "zero-fault" operation record for 2 million kilometers. These vehicles are equipped with Sunrise New Energy's 70MPa on-board hydrogen supply system, allowing for a single hydrogen refueling time of just 3-5 minutes and a driving range exceeding 600 kilometers. Their technical indicators have reached internationally leading levels, validating the technical feasibility and economic efficiency of the "Hainan Model." Deepening Strategic Synergy: Building a Benchmark for Full-Chain Synergy in the Hainan Model With the in-depth implementation of the "Overall Plan for the Construction of the Hainan Free Trade Port," the hydrogen energy industry is becoming a key pillar for Hainan to build a clean energy island. Sunrise New Energy will take this strategic cooperation as an opportunity to work together with industry chain partners to advance the construction of vehicle operation platforms and hydrogen refueling stations, promoting the market-oriented development of China's hydrogen energy industry.