There are subsidies, April 2023 sales of electric cars are increasing

CNN Indonesia

Sunday, May 14 2023 11:05 WIB

Jakarta, CNN Indonesia —

Marketing electric car clean battery operated or battery electric car (BEV) increased after the subsidy program to buy new electric vehicles came into effect on April 1, 2023. In the last month, sales of electric vehicles increased by 15.5 percent compared to March 2023.

Refer to the data wholesale sales or delivery from factories to dealers, during April electric vehicles were sold 1,285 units. This number increased compared to March which recorded sales of only 1,112 units.

However, the contribution of electric vehicle sales to the market for vehicles with four or more wheels as a whole in April 2023 was around 2.2 percent.

The Hyundai Ioniq 5 is still leading the electric car sales in April 2023. In the entire last month, this electric car from South Korea recorded sales of 716 units.

Then followed by Wuling Air EV with sales of 450 units. The sales figure increased slightly from March 2023 which recorded sales of 421 units.

Both of these types are vehicles that get subsidies from electricity. The subsidies provided are in the form of an incentive reduction of Value Added Tax (VAT) from the previous 11 percent to 1 percent.

Then, behind it is BMW iX xDrive40 A/T which recorded sales of 54 units in April, BMW i440 Gran Coupe A/T of 15 units, DFSK Gelora E 13 units.

Additionally, 11 units of Mercedes-Benz EQS 450+, nine units of Nissan Leaf, eight units of KIA EV6, two units of Lexus UX300e, and one unit of MG ZS EV.

Meanwhile, with reference to data from the Ministry of Industry (Kemenperin) the number of sales of electric vehicles in April 2023 was 1,345 units, an increase of 44 percent compared to sales in March of 928 units.

Anies criticizes the electric car subsidy

Anies has previously criticized government support in the form of subsidies and incentives to buy electric cars in Indonesia. Anies said the policy was wrong if the goal was to reduce carbon emissions.

Even the former Governor of DKI Jakarta estimated that encouraging the government through this support for people to use electric vehicles would not make the environment better.

“Our experience in Jakarta is that when a private electric-based car will not replace the car in its garage, it will add more cars to the streets, and increase the congestion on the streets,” Anies said last weekend.

Anies also claims that electric car buyers don’t really need this support. He said the government should first reform the public transport sector that uses electricity.

The former governor of DKI Jakarta also claims that a person’s carbon footprint when using a private electric vehicle is greater than public transportation with conventional engines.

“If we calculate this, for example when it comes to electric cars, the carbon emissions of electric cars per person per kilometer are actually higher than the carbon emissions of fossil fuel buses,” he said.

Electric vehicle sales data for April 2023 refers to Gaikindo

Hyundai Ioniq 5 716 units
Wuling Air EV 450 Units
BMW iX xDrive40 A/T 54 units
BMW i440 Gran Coupe A/T 15 units
DFSK Gelora E 13 units
Mercedes Benz EQS 450+ 11 units
Nissan LEAF 9 units
KIA EV6 8 units
Mini Cooper SE Hatch A/T 6 units
MG ZS EV 1 unit

(dmr/dmr)