Internationalization and Competitive Dynamics of Electric Vehicles in Southeast Asia
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.63313/EBM.9170Keywords:
Electric Vehicles, Internationalization, Competitive Dynamics, ASEANAbstract
Against the backdrop of global automotive electrification, Southeast Asia (ASEAN) has emerged as a core growth market for electric vehicles (EVs). This paper conducts a management-oriented systematic review to explore the internationalization strategies and competitive dynamics of EV firms in ASEAN. Grounded in the OLI paradigm, institutional theory and the Uppsala model, it synthesizes key internationalization approaches including regional integration, localization and strategic partnerships, and analyzes competitive interactions between global and local players driven by cost advantages, technological disruption, policy instruments and value chain restructuring. The review identifies critical research gaps including insufficient cross-national comparative research, limited long-term performance analysis, and inadequate attention to digitalization and institutional entrepreneurship. It further proposes a future research agenda to advance international business theories and managerial practices.
References
[1] Abdullah, N., Razak, W. N. Z. W., Azali, N. A. E., Azman, K. N., Kharfizi, K. M., Jansi, S. N. S., ... & Jabar, S. N. (2024). Electric Vehicle Adoption: A Comparative Analysis in Malaysia and ASEAN Countries. Semarak International Journal of Electronic System Engineering, 1(1), 60-68.
[2] Adzhani, I. A., Pramono, B., Santoso, M. S., Wirayat, M. Y. F., Okdinawati, L., & Belgiawan, P. F. (2025). Battery electric vehicle adoption in Indonesia: Insights from consumer preferences and stakeholder perspectives. In Journal of the Civil Engineering Forum (Vol. 11, No. 3, pp. 334-350).
[3] Borucka, A., Stopka, O., & Kozłowski, E. (2024). Analysis of electric vehicles in the context of the world's largest economies. Archiwum Motoryzacji, 106(4).
[4] Deng, X., & Xiao, Y. (2025). Supply chain synergy in the electric vehicle industry between China and ASEAN. East Asian Policy, 17(01), 38-55.
[5] DiMaggio, P.J., & Powell, W.W. (1983). The iron cage revisited: Institutional isomorphism and collective rationality in organizational fields. American Sociological Review, 48, 147-160.
[6] Dunning, J. H. (2015). The eclectic paradigm of international production: A restatement and some possible extensions. The eclectic paradigm: A framework for synthesizing and comparing theories of international business from different disciplines or perspectives, 50-84.
[7] Dunning, J. H., & Lundan, S. M. (2008). Multinational enterprises and the global economy(2nd ed.). Cheltenham: Edward Elgar.
[8] Hamzah, M. I., Tanwir, N. S., Wahab, S. N., & Rashid, M. H. A. (2022). Consumer perceptions of hybrid electric vehicle adoption and the green automotive market: the Malaysian evidence. Environment, Development and Sustainability, 24(2), 1827-1851.
[9] Huang, B., Choi, Y., Chng, S., & Neo, H. (2023). Examining policy strategies for electrifying transportation in ASEAN: a STEELUP framework evaluation. Sustainability, 15(22), 15708.
[10] Johanson, J., & Vahlne, J. E. (2015). The Uppsala internationalization process model revisited: From liability of foreignness to liability of outsidership. In International business strategy (pp. 33-59). Routledge.
[11] Koch, A. H. (2022). Strategic responses of MNCs in emerging markets: addressing institutional voids associated with informal institutions. Critical Perspectives on International Business, 18(2), 137-156.
[12] Lahadalia, B., Wijaya, C., Dartanto, T., & Subroto, A. (2024). Nickel downstreaming in indonesia: reinventing sustainable industrial policy and developmental state in building the EV Industry in ASEAN. Journal of ASEAN Studies, 12(1), 79-106.
[13] Li, Y., Guan, C., Purwanto, A. J., Chen, B., & Zhao, Y. (2025). Distribution of the ASEAN battery electric vehicle production network: Mapping the interplay of endowments, policies, and global integration. Energy for Sustainable Development, 85, 101649.
[14] Lin, O. Z., Juchelkova, D., Štěpanec, L., Aye, H. Y., & Plangklang, B. (2025). Decarbonizing ASEAN'S Transport Sector: A Critical Review of Electric Vehicle and Biofuel Policy Pathways. Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Energy and Environment, 14(4), e70017.
[15] Luiz, J. M. (2026). What are emerging markets? Unpacking emergence: a critical perspective on emerging markets in international business. Critical Perspectives on International Business, 1-25.
[16] Prakash, A. (Ed.). (2023). Regional integration in indo-pacific: connectivity, cooperation, and new supply-chain Linkages. Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia.
[17] Setiyo, M., Setiawan, I. C., & Peeie, M. H. B. (2025). Research Trends of Electric Vehicles (EVs) in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand: A Quick Analysis using Bibliometric. Automotive Experiences, 8(1), 1-8.
[18] Shadikhodjaev, S. (2023). Industrial policy in Asia-Pacific integration: Localization measures and subsidies in ASEAN countries. Asia Pacific Law Review, 31(2), 618-640.
[19] Sun, S. L., & Zhou, W. C. (2025). Global value chain envelopment: how do emerging multinational enterprises innovate and compete in green transitions?. AIB Insights, 25(3), 1-6.
[20] Sundram, P. (2025). Network governance in ASEAN: Fostering regional cooperation and integration. Frontiers in Political Science, 7, 1434595.
[21] Techa-Erawan, T., Ratisukpimol, W., & Bunditsakulchai, P. (2024). The analysis of consumer preference on EV adoption barriers and policy stimulations in Thailand. International Journal of Energy Economics and Policy, 14(4), 160-168.
[22] Wong, S. (2025). Developing electric vehicles in China and the United States: Revisiting debates on industrial strategy. Development Policy Review, 43(1), e12815.
[23] Zhao, W., & Luethje, B. (2025). Manufacturing competency from local clusters: Roots of the competitive advantage of the Chinese electric vehicle battery industry. World Electric Vehicle Journal, 16(6), 319.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 by author(s) and Erytis Publishing Limited.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
How to Cite
