In Malaysia, Zeekr, the premium NEV brand under Chinese automaker Geely, entered the market in December 2024. Within months, Zeekr vehicles were more visible on Malaysian roads.

　　"Previously, Malaysians may have associated Chinese cars mainly with affordability," said Zarul Fadzly, sales manager for Zeekr's KLCC and Johor Bahru outlets. "But with the entry of Zeekr and other Chinese brands, they have experienced firsthand the safety, performance and quality of the vehicles. Their perception has changed. Now they are more inclined to pursue the performance and quality of Chinese brands."

　　On the broader impact of Chinese brands entering Malaysia, Fadzly added: "They bring more advanced technology, so other brands will follow suit and compete. Eventually the biggest beneficiaries are consumers -- everyone is competing to improve technology."

　　Beyond cost-effectiveness and technological advantages, Chinese NEVs are also accelerating the global energy transition. The International Energy Agency (IEA) estimated that the global electric vehicle fleet displaced about 1.7 million barrels of oil demand a day in 2025, with China accounting for roughly 1 million barrels a day.

　　The increasing cost-competitiveness of electric vehicles, along with tighter standards to cut carbon emissions, is poised to drive market growth, pushing up the share of electric vehicles in global car sales to around 50 percent in 2035 from 25 percent in 2025, according to an IEA report.

　　"China's NEV industry offers the world an alternative to the Western high-cost green transition path, making green transition no longer a privilege of developed countries, but an affordable development opportunity for all nations," said Zhu Yifang, deputy chief engineer at the China Automotive Strategy and Policy Research Center.