At least seven BRICS+ countries are redirecting electric vehicle incentives toward everyday transport. Brazil, China, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand are prioritizing electric two- and three-wheelers, buses, and shared mobility instead of concentrating subsidies on private cars. BRICS+ Nations’ EV Support
The policy shift, highlighted in an analysis by the International Institute for Sustainable Development, aims to make electrification inclusive for lower- and middle-income households. It comes as BRICS+ leaders prepare to meet in New Delhi.
Why Oil Dependence Matters
Around 84% of the BRICS+ population lives in net oil-importing economies, exposing governments and households to fuel-price volatility. Road transport accounts for nearly half of worldwide oil demand, making mass electrification a tool for improving energy security, limiting price shocks, and strengthening economic resilience.
The analysis argues that public funding delivers wider benefits when directed toward vehicles used by commuters. Subsidizing private cars can disproportionately benefit wealthier buyers, while supporting scooters, motorcycles, e-bicycles, buses, and shared vehicles can reduce transport costs and pollution at scale.
Two-Wheelers Drive Mass Adoption
India demonstrates the potential. More than 21 million two-wheelers were sold during the 2025–26 financial year—five times passenger-car sales. Sustained government incentives helped electric two-wheelers increase their market share from approximately 0.4% in the first half of 2021 to a record 11% by July 2026.
The BRICS+ Nations’ EV Support strategy also appears in China, where an e-bicycle trade-in programme enabled 12.5 million purchases during 2025. Two-wheelers remain essential, affordable transport across India, Indonesia, Thailand, and Malaysia, particularly for lower-income riders.
Buses Bring Benefits to Everyone
The second strategy focuses on electrifying buses, three-wheelers, and minibuses, allowing people to benefit from cleaner mobility without owning a vehicle. China operated more than 544,000 new-energy public buses by the end of 2024, representing over 80% of its urban bus fleet. Brazil allocated $1.7 billion to finance electric buses across 61 cities.
A Broader, Fairer EV Transition
China combines e-bicycle incentives with extensive bus electrification, while India supports electric two-wheelers alongside buses and shared three-wheelers. This dual approach shows how BRICS+ EV Support can advance individual and collective mobility simultaneously.
Ultimately, BRICS+ Nations EV Support is becoming an economic and social policy—not merely a climate initiative. By backing affordable vehicles and public fleets, emerging economies can cut oil consumption, improve urban air quality, and ensure the electric transition reaches commuters who need affordable mobility most.
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