Study Reveals Why Indonesians Are Starting to Buy Electric Cars

KatadataOTO – The growth of electric cars in Indonesia is quite good, especially with the presence of various new models from China. The prices of EVs (Electric Vehicles) are increasingly varied and offered competitively.

Although there are many public concerns about electric cars, a survey from the Populix institute reveals that there are specific reasons why people ultimately decide to buy environmentally friendly vehicles.

“There are several findings, the first and most basic is related to the environmental aspect. Indonesians are becoming more aware of the environment,” said Susan Adi Putra, Populix Associate Head of Research for Automotive in South Jakarta some time ago.

In addition, electric cars are said to have various advantages that cannot be obtained from conventional vehicles. 

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Based on the survey data presentation from Populix, the three main points that are the reasons Indonesians finally buy electric cars are cost efficiency, modern technology, and practicality.

In terms of cost, it is mentioned that electric cars are not subject to the same annual tax as gasoline-powered vehicles. Service costs are also claimed to be lower.

Then there are many new technologies that have never been embedded in domestic vehicle lines before.

Adi highlighted that government incentives can also be a special attraction for the Indonesian people. Thus, they are increasingly interested in switching from conventional cars.

Speaking of the current situation, Adi revealed that the Populix survey results show that electric cars are still used only for daily needs, not for long trips.

“We involved various ages, especially from 17 to 45 years old, with the areas mostly in Java and then Sumatra. The users own one EV and use it for daily purposes,” said Adi.

It seems that their use for long-distance travel is still rare for several reasons, such as SPKLU (Public Electric Vehicle Charging Stations) which are not yet evenly distributed in various regions.

“The availability of SPKLU is a major concern. Then regarding official dealers or workshops, because the distance between dealers is still too far,” said Adi.

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For your information, the electric car model with high wholesales (distribution from factory to dealer) achievement is BYD (Build Your Dreams).

Its price is quite competitive. Although still imported, BYD has committed to local production so it can enjoy import incentives.

Thanks to these incentives, the price of BYD electric cars can be kept down even with CBU (Completely Built Up) or imported status. This price tag is then believed to be one of the main attractions of the BYD vehicle line.