KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia -- The Electric Vehicle Association of the Philippines (EVAP) urged Southeast Asian nations to align technical standards, workforce development, and supply chains to create a unified regional market during the Global Automotive and Technology Expo 2026.

Speaking at the conference held at the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre, EVAP board member Jojo Conde addressed regional fragmentation, noting that while Southeast Asia accounts for roughly a quarter of global two-wheeler sales, only 6 percent to 10 percent of electric two-wheelers are manufactured within the region.

"ASEAN does not have a demand problem. It has a fragmentation problem," Conde said during a session on trade standards. "No single ASEAN market is large enough on its own to pull a full supplier ecosystem."

Conde urged regional governments to establish common baselines for charging and battery-swap systems, mutually recognize equipment testing, and include micro, small, and medium enterprises in local component manufacturing policies.

In a companion presentation on workforce development, EVAP corporate secretary Mark John Benedict Rola warned that technical infrastructure cannot scale without trained personnel.

Rola highlighted EVAP's collaboration with the Philippines' Technical Education and Skills Development Authority to establish a four-stage training pipeline covering electrical basics, battery management, and smart grid integration.

"We should not train people for the EV industry we have today; we should train people for the EV industry ASEAN will have tomorrow," Rola said, calling for mutual recognition of vocational qualifications across member countries.

Addressing charging infrastructure, EVAP vice president Carla Buencamino joined industry panelists from Malaysia and Thailand to push for streamlined grid connection processes and standardized equipment certification.

"Scaling ASEAN's EV charging network requires faster, more coordinated processes — from site signing to energization," Buencamino said, advocating for single-agency approvals to accelerate deployment.