Tag: Electric motorcycles

  • E-motorcycle sales slump as Rp 3m purchase incentive stays in limbo

    E-motorcycle sales slump as Rp 3m purchase incentive stays in limbo

    Top image: Photo: オーバードライブ83, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    Sales of electric motorcycles in Indonesia have fallen sharply this year as buyers hold off while waiting for a promised government purchase incentive, industry groups have warned. The government says the scheme is still due to launch in 2026, but it continues to await the regulations needed to put it into effect.

    Sales down sharply

    According to the Indonesian Electric Motorcycle Industry Association (Aismoli), cited by The Jakarta Post, e-motorcycle sales dropped to only 18,900 units between January and August 2026, compared with 70,000 units for the whole of last year. Industry players told the paper that consumers were postponing purchases until the discount is available, leaving dealers with stagnant sales and, in some cases, facing the prospect of closure.

    Moeldoko, chairman of the Indonesian Electric Vehicle Industry Association (Periklindo) and a former presidential chief of staff, urged the government to act:

    “Why is this going back and forth, with us still waiting for when it will actually be implemented?” – Moeldoko, Periklindo, to The Jakarta Post

    What is on the table

    The planned scheme would give buyers a Rp 3 million discount on each locally made electric motorcycle, funded from a total budget of Rp 3 trillion. It replaces an earlier Rp 5 million-per-unit proposal, Antara reported. Accounts of the scheme’s scale differ: The Jakarta Post described it as covering up to 100,000 units, while Antara said the Rp 3 trillion budget was intended to support purchases of as many as one million domestically produced e-motorcycles, even though national production capacity is expected to reach only about 100,000 units by the end of 2026.

    Expectations had been raised in August, when The Jakarta Post reported, under the headline that the subsidy would return in September, that then Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa expected the scheme to restart that month. That month has now almost passed without the programme starting.

    Government: decided, but paperwork pending

    Deputy Industry Minister Faisol Riza told Antara on 24 September that the government had already decided on the incentive and remained committed to implementing it this year. He said the remaining question was how quickly it could be realised, and indicated that officials were waiting for the new deputy finance minister to take up the post.

    Implementation depends on a Finance Ministry Regulation (PMK), and Antara reported that the programme may also require a Presidential Regulation to give it a firm legal basis. Only once those rules are issued can the technical guidelines, lists of eligible models and dealer procedures be finalised.

    What it means for buyers

    For anyone considering an electric scooter or motorcycle, the delay creates a clear dilemma. Waiting could save Rp 3 million on an eligible model, which is a significant share of the price of many entry-level e-scooters. But there is no confirmed start date, and the incentive is expected to apply only to locally made models that meet local-content (TKDN) requirements, so not every bike on sale will qualify. Buyers should check with dealers whether a model is expected to be eligible and whether any dealer promotions already offset the potential discount. Those who need a bike now may find that existing manufacturer offers make waiting less worthwhile.

    IndoEVs will report on the regulation and the list of eligible models once they are published.

    Sources: The Jakarta Post – EV two-wheeler sales slump as incentive hangs in limbo, industry warns; Antara – RI govt still targets electric motorcycle incentive this year; The Jakarta Post – EV motorcycle subsidy to return in September: Purbaya

  • Prabowo launches Molinas national e-motorcycle programme to use nickel

    Prabowo launches Molinas national e-motorcycle programme to use nickel

    Top image: Photo: AntaraTV, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    President Prabowo Subianto has launched Molinas, short for Motor Listrik Nasional (National Electric Motorcycle), a government-led programme to build a domestic electric motorcycle industry backed by locally processed nickel batteries. The launch took place on 13 August 2026 at the production facility of electric motorcycle maker ALVA in Cikarang, Bekasi, West Java.

    More than a single bike

    Despite the name, Molinas is not one model but an ecosystem. According to Antara, it covers manufacturing and components, batteries, charging and battery-swapping infrastructure, financing, distribution, after-sales service and market uptake. The Jakarta Post reported that state-owned PT Len Industri is the lead integrator, working with the sovereign wealth fund Danantara and at least 10 national motorcycle companies that meet local-content requirements. ALVA is produced by PT Ilectra Motor Group, part of the Indika Energy group.

    Mr Prabowo described the programme as a collaboration between private companies, state-owned enterprises and universities:

    “Today, in my opinion, is one good example of what I call Indonesia Incorporated.” – President Prabowo Subianto, reported by Antara

    The nickel angle

    A central aim is to create demand for batteries made from Indonesian nickel. Indonesia holds around 46% of the world’s nickel reserves, and Rosan Roeslani – investment and downstreaming minister and chief executive of Danantara – linked the programme’s affordability directly to that resource, Antara reported:

    “Molinas can be affordable and high quality, especially since we can carry out downstreaming from nickel into batteries.” – Rosan Roeslani, reported by Antara

    Mr Rosan also framed the programme as a question of economic self-reliance, telling the launch that Indonesia needed to stand on its own feet in every area of economic activity, according to the Cabinet Secretariat.

    Big targets from a small base

    The scale of ambition is considerable. A follow-up report by Antara noted that Indonesia sells 6–7 million motorcycles a year, but only 60,000–70,000 of them – about 1% – are electric. It said 69 companies already make battery-powered vehicles, with a combined capacity of 2.511 million units a year, and that at least 10 local firms meet local-content rules. ALVA currently produces around 20,000 units a year and aims to expand to 200,000.

    Antara reported a national goal of 2 million Molinas e-motorcycles, without a specified timeframe, and a longer-term target of 11 million electric motorcycles on the road by 2037. Supporters argue that the shift could cut fuel subsidy spending by Rp 82.2 trillion between 2027 and 2037 and create around 215,000 direct and indirect jobs.

    What it means for buyers

    Molinas does not yet change what riders can buy or how much they pay. Its practical effect will depend on the details still to come: which models carry the Molinas label, whether battery-swapping networks become widespread enough to ease range worries, and how financing schemes are structured. It also sits alongside the separate Rp 3 million purchase incentive for locally made e-motorcycles, which has yet to take effect. Buyers interested in a Molinas-affiliated bike should look for clear information on battery warranties, swapping availability in their city and after-sales coverage before committing.

    Sources: Antara – Indonesia launches Molinas in push for electric vehicle self-reliance; Antara – Prabowo calls Molinas an example of “Indonesia Incorporated”; Antara – ‘Molinas’ marks new chapter in Indonesia’s EV industrialization; The Jakarta Post – Prabowo kicks off e-motorcycle ecosystem to push nickel use; Cabinet Secretariat – President Prabowo launches National Electric Motorcycle (MoLiNas)