Phnom Penh: The Ministry of Public Works and Transport issued a total of 30,371 special and personalised vehicle plates last year, earning some US$18 million, up 12.5 percent from US$16 million in 2024, a ministry’s report showed on Jan. 22.

According to Agence Kampuchea Presse, the special vehicle plate registration, which started in 2016, is priced higher than the normal ones, and the owners have the option to keep the plate when selling their vehicles. The ministry also registered 413,067 vehicles last year, with motorcycles accounting for the largest share at 353,603 units, followed by light vehicles with 54,692 units, and heavy vehicles with 5,841 units.

In the realm of electric vehicles, 2024 saw a total of 2,253 registered EVs, marking a significant increase of 620 percent over 2023, which had registered 313 new EVs. The Royal Government of Cambodia (RGC) is committed to reducing pollution through the use of fuel-efficient vehicles and aims to switch to EVs, targeting at least 40 percent of the total cars and 70 percent of motorcycles by 2050.

Furthermore, the RGC has developed a strategic policy aimed at transforming Cambodia into a regional and global production hub for automotive and electronic components. This initiative is intended to attract more investment in the field and boost exports.