EV Overtake Hybrids in Indonesia, Car Market Shrinks 15% in May

Chinese EVs Overtake Hybrids in Indonesia as Car Market Shrinks 15% in May
Chinese EVs Overtake Hybrids in Indonesia as Car Market Shrinks 15% in May. Image via BYD Brazil

Indonesia’s car market shrank sharply in May, with wholesale vehicle sales plunging 15.1% year-on-year, as high borrowing costs, weak consumer sentiment, and sluggish wage growth continued to weigh on Southeast Asia’s largest automotive economy.

Yet amid the broader contraction, one segment is accelerating: electric vehicles. For the first time, fully electric battery vehicles (BEVs) have outsold hybrid models in year-to-date sales, driven almost entirely by Chinese manufacturers offering affordable, tech-forward models.

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