Indonesian Ambassador to China Proposes Nio Electric Car Brand to Astra

KatadataOTO – Besides BYD (Build Your Dreams), another Chinese electric car brand that is quite popular in its home country is Nio.

The second-largest brand in China is reportedly in talks to invest in the country. Like BYD, they are said to be intending to establish an assembly facility.

“Nio is the second-largest EV (Electric Vehicle) brand (in China). It is in the business process of entering Indonesia,” said Djauhari Oratmangun, Indonesian Ambassador to China and Mongolia, at the Kagama Leader Forum 2025 discussion event on Wednesday (14/05).

He further revealed that Nio is also touted as one of the strongest competitors to other electric car manufacturers like BYD and Tesla.

Photo : Nio

“Perhaps Astra is interested (in partnering with Nio). Their vehicles are very good,” he said.

According to him, the investment opportunities in the country are quite significant. Especially since there are now a number of Chinese brands offering their vehicles to the public and receiving a positive response.

Astra does not currently manage any Chinese vehicle brands. Some of the brands under its umbrella include Toyota, Daihatsu, Isuzu, and BMW.

However, new brands from China like BYD continue to dominate the top 10 in both wholesales (vehicle distribution from factory to dealer) and retail (dealer to consumer) sales.

In terms of retail, BYD ranked first in sales for Chinese car brands throughout April 2025 with 3,531 units. Its sub-brand, Denza, ranked fourth with 847 units.

Seeing this great opportunity, it is hoped that prospective automotive investors will not hesitate to invest here.

“Of course, every opportunity for cooperation exists and we will try to explore it,” Djauhari affirmed.

For your information, Nio, in its home country, successfully delivered 23,900 vehicle units to consumers throughout April 2025. That figure is claimed to be a 53 percent year-on-year increase.

These sales are a combination of the family-oriented EV model, Onvo, and its premium sub-brand, Firefly.

Photo : Nio

The models offered by Nio are also quite diverse, ranging from sedans, SUVs (Sport Utility Vehicle) to wagons. 

If it enters Indonesia, it seems Nio will first target a popular segment like SUVs.

Considering SUVs have a passenger capacity of five to seven people, a spacious cabin, and high ground clearance, which are sought after by many potential consumers.