Soaring fuel prices triggered by ongoing Middle East conflict drive Thais to NEV purchases

Facing record fuel price hikes triggered by the ongoing U.S.-Israeli war with Iran, more and more Thais are turning to new energy vehicles (NEVs) to cut transportation costs.

Since the outbreak of the war on Feb 28, the shipping crisis in the Strait of Hormuz has now become the largest supply disruption in the history of the global oil market, accelerating high energy costs. As a result, Thais have experienced a sharp increase in fuel prices in their country and are spending much more on public transportation.

Diesel prices in Thailand have risen from 29.94 baht (nearly 0.92 U.S. dollars) per liter to 47.74 baht (about 1.46 U.S. dollars), a surge of about 59 percent.

Gasoline prices have also shot up by about 34.24 percent.

Recently, at gas stations across Thailand, people are lining up to fill up their tanks before further price rises.

"We have to pay more for the same amount of fuel now. So, we motorcycle drivers are making less money than before. This is affecting our families' livelihoods," said a motorcycle driver.

The worsening fuel crisis has prompted Thai people to take a pragmatic look at vehicle costs, and NEVs are gaining favor due to their lower operating costs.

At the Bangkok International Motor Show which concluded on Sunday, the visitors' focus had shifted from traditional gasoline-powered vehicle to NEVs.

"High fuel costs are causing increasing pressure. NEVs perfectly meet people's current mobility needs. Using electricity significantly reduces transportation costs," said a visitor at the auto show.

The event featured 37 major exhibitors, with Chinese brands accounting for 14 booths, nearly 40 percent of the total.

As many Chinese NEV manufacturers actively participated in the exhibition, Chinese brands became the top choice for many Thai consumers when purchasing vehicles.

Data released by the organizing committee of the auto show showed that in the first seven days of the event, vehicle pre-orders exceeded 40,000 units, a year-on-year increase of 68.8 percent.

Among them, NEV models including pure electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids accounted for as much as 80 percent of the total.

And among the top five brands by pre-order volume, Chinese brands occupied three spots.

"The selection of NEVs we are offering right now comes at a perfect time and also provides a great opportunity for Thai consumers," said Ke Yubin, a person with a Chinese NEV company.

"Rising oil prices are an unavoidable topic. The introduction of NEVs has offered Thai consumers more choices," said Cui Junyuan, local head of another Chinese NEV company.

Soaring fuel prices triggered by ongoing Middle East conflict drive Thais to NEV purchases

Soaring fuel prices triggered by ongoing Middle East conflict drive Thais to NEV purchases

Soaring fuel prices triggered by ongoing Middle East conflict drive Thais to NEV purchases

Families of victims killed in an attack in central Nigeria's Jos a week ago are calling on the government to do more to protect lives and property.

Gunmen attacked the Ungwan Rukuba community, opening fire and killing about 30 people on March 29.

Ferdinand Habila Gapsiso lost his 24-year-old son Makburi in the attack. As friends and family condoled them in a memorial service, the father recounted the devastation of losing a child.

"When we turned to the other side, where they laid the corpses down on the floor, the first person that we saw was [Makburi]. This child was my hope. We have struggled for him to get to that stage, and suddenly they cut his life short. It was so painful, so painful," Gapsiso said.

The government has described the incident as a terror attack. The area is home to several staff and students from the local university, and many of them have since left the city.

The government has also imposed a curfew in Jos North local government area, where the Ungwar Rukuba community is located, as part of the measures to restore law and order in the city.

Jos, and other parts of Plateau State have a history of violent attacks. Community leaders say there is now growing distrust among residents. They want the government to arrest the perpetrators, and ensure they are exposed and punished to serve as a deterrence.

"We have laws in this country. We have the anti-terrorism act that has spelled out what is to be done to anybody who has been found to be culpable. We should be having the political will to make sure that we go all out and let whoever is the perpetrator, found to be guilty to face the wrath of the law. Once we do that, it will send a lot of signals down the spines of people," said Esthon Gapsiso, a community leader.

President Bola Tinubu visited Jos to condole with families on Wednesday. He says the government will deploy 5,000 intelligence-enabled cameras to support peace operations in the state.

"Governor, you and I were elected on a promise of peace and prosperity, not to comfort and create widows and widowers, to bring prosperity as a promise, to bring inclusiveness as a government, to share in the hope and aspirations of everyone, to lead our youths," Tinubu said during the visit.

The president has also scheduled meetings with opinion leaders in the state, to discuss more ways to address the security challenges.

Defense authorities say they have approved deployment of 850 additional troops to Jos, and other parts of Plateau. They say an investigation is also underway to identify those behind the killings.

Residents demand more effective protection measures after deadly attack on community in Jos