Jakarta. Chinese automaker BYD recently said that the company was upbeat about the prospects for the Indonesian electric vehicle (EV) market.

BYD has been offering its electric four-wheelers in the Indonesian market for the past year. BYD also claimed that its cars had seen great enthusiasm among its Indonesian buyers, although the company did not reveal how many exactly it had sold in the country. 

“However, the sales numbers are beating our expectations for Indonesia. This has caught the attention of BYD’s management and top brass. And the numbers have really made them really confident in developing the market [in Indonesia],” BYD Indonesia’s head of marketing and communication Luther Panjaitan said in Pantai Indah Kapuk 2 over the weekend.

According to the Indonesian Automotive Industry Association (Gaikindo), the country recorded 9,178 units in sales of electric cars in January-May 2024. This marks a 97.7 percent jump compared to the same period last year, during which only 4,641 electric cars were sold. 

Luther added that BYD Indonesia’s business plans also reflected the company’s confidence in making a huge investment in the country. BYD is planning to build a manufacturing plant in Indonesia. Luther did not say when the plant’s construction would start. 

“We are still making the preparations,” Luther said.

Earlier that day, BYD symbolically handed over the electric cars that Indonesian consumers had bought. As many as 1,000 BYD vehicles -- which people have bought since a year ago -- are making their way to their respective owners.