Tag: BYD

  • Indonesia’s EV sales hit record in August as 2025 total nearly matched

    Indonesia’s EV sales hit record in August as 2025 total nearly matched

    Top image: Photo: TTTNIS, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

    Indonesia’s battery electric vehicle (BEV) market posted its strongest month on record in August 2026, and the eight-month total has already come within touching distance of everything sold in the whole of 2025. Wholesale figures from the Indonesian Automotive Industry Association (Gaikindo), reported by several Indonesian outlets this month, show demand for fully electric cars continuing to climb even as the wider car market grows at a more modest pace.

    A record month

    According to a tally of Gaikindo data compiled by KilasJatim, BEV wholesales (factory-to-dealer shipments) reached 17,413 units in August, up 24.6% on July’s 13,972 units and the highest monthly figure yet recorded. That took the January–August total to 101,171 units, almost double (up 99.4%) the 50,749 units shipped in the same period of 2025. The full-year 2025 total was 103,931 units, meaning the market needed only around 2,760 more units to overtake it with four months of the year still to run.

    The overall market was also firm. iNews reported that total car wholesales reached 81,756 units in August, the best month of the year so far, bringing the year-to-date figure to 599,491 units. By IndoEVs’ calculation, fully electric cars therefore accounted for just over a fifth of all wholesales in August.

    Chinese brands fill the top ten

    The BYD Atto 1 was the standout model. Gaikindo’s own monthly bestseller report placed the compact hatchback second among all cars sold in Indonesia in August, with about 5,560 units, behind only the Daihatsu Gran Max and ahead of long-established favourites such as the Toyota Innova and Avanza. The Jaecoo J5 also made the overall top six with 3,214 units.

    VIVA published the August BEV top ten, every one of which came from a Chinese brand:

    • BYD Atto 1 – 5,560 units
    • Jaecoo J5 – 3,214
    • Geely EX2 – 1,595
    • Wuling Air EV – 754
    • BYD M6 – 679
    • AION V – 563
    • iCAR V23 – 500
    • Geely EX5 – 487
    • Wuling Darion EV – 443
    • MG S5 EV – 428

    An analysis by Maybank Investment Bank, reported by TNGlobal, put BYD’s share of the BEV segment at 32.7% over the first eight months, followed by Jaecoo at 23% and Geely at 12%. Maybank estimated that electrified vehicles of all types (battery electric, hybrid and plug-in hybrid) made up 28% of car sales over the period, with BEVs alone at 18%.

    Why buyers are switching

    Gaikindo attributes the surge mainly to product and price. Speaking to JawaPos, Jongkie Sugiarto, Gaikindo’s deputy chair for market development, said the jump reflected the arrival of well-designed BEVs at affordable prices. JawaPos also pointed to higher oil prices driven by geopolitical tensions, the growth of local assembly by global manufacturers, and a wave of new models unveiled at the GIIAS motor show in July.

    Mr Sugiarto was nonetheless cautious about how quickly electric cars would displace petrol models:

    “Replacing ICE, perhaps not yet, but their market share will keep rising. BEVs will keep growing.” – Jongkie Sugiarto, Gaikindo, to JawaPos (translated from Indonesian)

    What it means for buyers

    For Indonesian car shoppers, the numbers point to a market that is maturing quickly. A broader range of affordable models means more choice below the price points that once defined the segment, and strong volumes should help dealers and service networks expand beyond the big cities. Buyers should, however, keep an eye on how prices and incentives evolve now that the tax breaks for fully imported BEVs have ended and manufacturers are shifting to local production. Checking a model’s local-content status and the availability of after-sales support in their area remains sensible before signing.

    With the 2025 total all but matched by the end of August, 2026 is on track to be a new annual record for electric car sales in Indonesia. IndoEVs will report September’s figures when Gaikindo releases them.

    Sources: JawaPos – Mobil Listrik Makin Laris, Gaikindo Ungkap Harga Terjangkau jadi Kunci; VIVA – 10 Mobil Listrik Terlaris Agustus 2026; Gaikindo – Mobil Terlaris Agustus 2026; KilasJatim – Penjualan Mobil Listrik Indonesia Tembus 101 Ribu Unit; iNews – Penjualan Mobil Indonesia Tembus 599 Ribu Unit hingga Agustus 2026; TNGlobal – Maybank sees EV adoption continues to accelerate in Indonesia

  • BYD opens 150,000-unit Subang factory, eyes 60% local content by 2027

    BYD opens 150,000-unit Subang factory, eyes 60% local content by 2027

    Top image: Photo: Exynoss78739, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    BYD has formally opened its first Indonesian car factory, a 126-hectare site in the Subang Smartpolitan industrial estate in West Java, marking the Chinese brand’s shift from importing cars to building them locally. The plant was inaugurated on Thursday 3 September 2026 and has an annual production capacity of 150,000 vehicles.

    Investment, jobs and first models

    CNN Indonesia reported the investment at Rp11.6 trillion. The facility covers the core stages of car manufacturing – stamping, welding, painting and final assembly – and currently employs around 5,000 local workers, a figure that could rise to more than 20,000 once the plant runs at full capacity. The first model off the line was the BYD M6 DM plug-in hybrid MPV, which CNN Indonesia said carries local content of more than 40%.

    According to Antara, the plant’s line-up also includes the Atto 1, the battery-electric M6 and models from BYD’s premium Denza brand. detikOto reported that the factory is already producing around 10,000 units a month.

    Local-content targets and batteries next

    The opening comes as Indonesia tightens its local-content rules for electric vehicles. As The Jakarta Post noted, the domestic component threshold (known as TKDN) stands at 40% this year, rises to 60% from January 2027 and is set to reach 80% by 2030. BYD Indonesia president director Eagle Zhao told Antara that the company would be ready for the higher bar:

    “In 2027, we will certainly be the first to stand in support of the TKDN requirement, which will become 60 per cent.” – Eagle Zhao, BYD Motor Indonesia, to Antara (translated from Indonesian)

    Mr Zhao said battery assembly would form the next phase of BYD’s Indonesian investment, arguing that a product cannot truly be called Indonesian-made without a comprehensive local production process. BYD has also sent hundreds of Indonesian technicians and engineers to its research and development centre in China, according to Antara. The Jakarta Post reported that Mr Zhao sees Subang as a potential regional export base as well as a supplier to the home market.

    Government message

    President Prabowo Subianto did not attend the ceremony. Industry Minister Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita delivered a message on his behalf, telling the audience that the transition of the market towards green mobility and electric vehicles needed to move faster, detikOto reported. CNN Indonesia said the minister described the plant as a milestone in moving from simply dominating sales to strengthening domestic components within the EV ecosystem.

    BYD Co. vice-president Liu Xueliang called the opening important not only for the company but for the Indonesian government. detikOto noted that Indonesian EV sales reached 83,758 units in January–July 2026, up 88.6% year on year – a market in which BYD has become the leading brand.

    What it means for buyers

    Local assembly matters for Indonesian buyers in several ways. The tax exemptions that allowed brands to import fully built EVs ended in 2025, so producing locally is now the main route for manufacturers to keep prices competitive. A domestic plant should also mean shorter waiting times, easier access to parts and, eventually, locally assembled batteries. Buyers comparing BYD models should check which variants are built in Subang and what local-content level they carry, as this can affect eligibility for government incentives.

    Several other brands, including VinFast, are pursuing local production in Indonesia, and the BYD opening raises the stakes for competitors ahead of the 60% local-content deadline in January 2027.

    Sources: CNN Indonesia – Pabrik BYD senilai Rp11 triliun di Subang akhirnya diresmikan; Antara – Usai resmikan pabrik Subang, BYD siapkan perakitan baterai di RI; detikOto – Pesan Presiden Prabowo buat BYD yang baru resmikan pabrik di Subang; The Jakarta Post – EV push gains traction as factories expand