Dealers Note Growing Interest in Electric Cars Among Regional Communities

KatadataOTO – Not only in Jakarta, a number of manufacturers including Hyundai have begun to introduce electric cars in other regions and cities outside of Jabodetabek.

According to an official Hyundai dealer, consumer interest in the regions is now visible because many are educated and see several advantages compared to conventional cars.

“When I go to Bandung, for example, (consumers think) if an electric car gets flooded, it will electrocute you. But it turns out, consumers are becoming more educated,” said Ferry, Chief Operating Officer of Hyundai Gowa in Cikarang recently.

The motivation is also different from consumers in the city center. In Jakarta, Ferry revealed that electric cars being exempt from the odd-even traffic rule is an important consideration for consumers.

Photo : Courtesy

“(Regional consumers) talk about fuel consumption, it's very noticeable. Then the issue of the annual tax is also very noticeable,” Ferry said.

Ferry explained that the average electric car tax is under Rp 1 million. He gave an example for the EV Hyundai Ioniq 5, its annual tax is around Rp 600 thousand.

Of course, the figure is very different from conventional cars. Take for example the PKB (Motor Vehicle Tax) for a Honda Brio RS, which can reach Rp 3 million.

“Next is the issue of service. (Electric cars) are very low maintenance, only the parts related to the drivetrain, like the brakes and wheels, need to be serviced,” he added.

Lastly is performance. Ferry revealed that previously many consumers feared that EVs could not handle the varied roads in the regions, which tend to have many inclines.

But thanks to education, he said, consumers are now starting to believe that EVs are not much different from conventional cars in terms of performance and can still be relied upon.

Photo : KatadataOTO

Regarding SPKLU (Public Electric Vehicle Charging Stations), Hyundai Gowa itself provides charging stations at official dealerships to make it easier for EV-using consumers.

For your information, Hyundai has several electric vehicle models, namely the Ioniq 5, Ioniq 6, Kona Electric, and Kona Electric N Line. All of them are locally assembled except for the Ioniq 6,

Because they are assembled domestically, these models can enjoy electric car incentives from the government. Their price tags also become competitive with other rivals in their class.