Bali’s EV fleet passes 17,700 as PLN opens charging to private investors

Top image: Photo: Christophe95, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Bali now has 17,725 electric vehicles on its roads, made up of about 5,000 cars and more than 12,000 motorbikes, according to figures reported by Antara on 8 October.

The island had about 14,000 EVs in March 2026 and about 15,000 in July, Antara said. By our own calculation, that is an increase of roughly 3,700 vehicles, or about 27%, in around seven months, with some 2,700 of them added since July.

About 304 public chargers at 115 locations

Bali has around 304 public charging units (SPKLU) spread across 115 locations, a total that includes both PLN-run and privately operated sites.

Ajrun Karim, general manager of PLN’s Bali distribution unit (UID Bali), said the state electricity company is open to private investment in charging. Under the approach he described, PLN would leave high-demand locations to investors and build where investors are not interested. He argued that charging access is no longer a barrier: “Where to charge is no longer an issue, because it is already very easy,” he said (translated from Indonesian).

Denpasar points to low-emission policy

Denpasar Deputy Mayor I Kadek Agus Arya Wibawa linked the growth to the city’s own rules, citing Mayor Regulation No. 40/2023 on battery electric vehicles and Regulation No. 39/2025, which created a low-emission zone in Sanur. He presented the push as part of the island’s goal of becoming a higher-quality tourism destination.

Part of a wider regional trend

Bali is one of several provinces where PLN has recently reported fast EV growth. This week we covered PLN’s plans for battery-swap stations for electric work vehicles in Klungkung and Nusa Penida, and we have also reported on a 4.5-fold jump in charging use in West Sumatra and EV growth in South Sumatra.

The Bali figures describe the total fleet on the road, so they cannot be compared directly with national monthly sales data. Still, with motorbikes making up more than two-thirds of the island’s EVs, Bali stands out at a time when national e-motorbike sales have slumped while buyers wait for a government incentive, as our report on September motorbike sales explains.

What it means for buyers

For Bali residents and long-stay visitors considering an EV, a public network of about 300 chargers, and PLN’s stated willingness to let private operators expand it, should make day-to-day charging less of a worry than in many other provinces. Most owners still do the bulk of their charging at home; our guide to charging an EV in Indonesia explains SPKLU, home charging and battery swapping. Drivers heading to Sanur should check the local rules for its low-emission zone.

Sources: Antara News Bali (8 Oct 2026)