Key takeaways
- The BYD Atto 1, a small electric hatchback priced from about Rp199 million in Jakarta, was Indonesia's best-selling passenger car in August 2026, ahead of the Toyota Avanza, according to Gaikindo wholesale data.
- Battery electric vehicles (BEVs) reached 101,171 units from January to August 2026, almost equal to the whole of 2025. In August alone they were about 21% of all cars delivered to dealers.
- The surge happened after Indonesia ended its import-duty exemption for fully imported EVs on 31 December 2025. Brands that imported under that scheme now have to build locally, and BYD opened its Rp11.7–16 trillion plant in Subang on 3 September.
- All ten best-selling EV models in the first eight months of 2026 are Chinese. The Japanese brands that built Indonesia's car market are still ahead on total volume, but they no longer own the entry segment.
The Avanza has a new rival, and it plugs in
For two decades, the top of Indonesia's car sales chart barely changed. Toyota's Avanza and its siblings, the low-cost green cars (LCGC) and the seven-seat people movers, sold to families who wanted cheap petrol, cheap parts and strong resale value. An electric car was something you saw at a motor show, not in a housing estate in Bekasi.
August 2026 broke that pattern. Gaikindo, the car manufacturers' association, reported that dealers took delivery of 5,560 BYD Atto 1s that month, according to the passenger-car ranking compiled by RCTI+. That put a Chinese electric hatchback first, with the Avanza second at 3,442 units and another electric model, the Jaecoo J5 EV, third. Rankings that include commercial vehicles tell the same story: the Atto 1 (5,538 units) beat the Daihatsu Gran Max pick-up, a workhorse that has topped those lists for years.
It happened in a strong month for the whole market. Wholesales reached 81,756 units, the highest of the year and 32.4% more than August 2025. Electric cars did not grow by taking a shrinking pie. They grew faster than a pie that was itself expanding.
5,560 BYD Atto 1 units delivered to dealers in August 2026, the most of any passenger car
101,171 battery electric cars sold January to August 2026, almost matching all of 2025
~21% share of BEVs in August 2026 wholesales, up from about 13% across 2025
From 125 cars to a fifth of the market
The speed of the shift is easier to see over time. In 2020, Indonesia sold 125 battery electric cars. In 2022, helped by the Wuling Air EV, the figure passed 10,000. Sales grew 140.6% in 2025 to 103,931 units. The first eight months of 2026 almost doubled the same period a year earlier.
Electric cars went from a rounding error to a fifth of monthly sales
Battery electric car wholesales in Indonesia. Switch to see their share of the total market.
Source: Gaikindo wholesale data as reported by Kilasjatim, Otodream, Bisnis.com, Databoks, Kontan and CNBC Indonesia. 2023 is approximate ("about 17,000"); 2024 is derived from the reported 140.6% growth in 2025. Share = BEV wholesales ÷ total car wholesales, calculated by Soedja (2025: 103,931 of 803,687; Jan–Aug 2026: 101,171 of 599,491; August 2026: 17,413 of 81,756).
Most remarkable is the timing. The fiscal tool that made imported EVs cheap, an exemption from import duty and luxury tax for fully built-up (CBU) cars, expired on 31 December 2025. Industry voices warned that prices could rise by around 15% and that the "exponential" growth of 2024–2025 might stall. Instead, sales accelerated.
Why the Atto 1 broke through
Price. In September 2026 the Atto 1 is listed in Jakarta at Rp199 million for the Standard variant, Rp210 million for the Dynamic and Rp245 million for the Premium, which has a larger 38.88 kWh battery. A Toyota Avanza starts at roughly Rp243 million on the road in Jakarta. The best-selling electric car is now priced inside the band where Indonesian families buy their first new car, not above it.
Running cost. The gap widens after purchase. Household electricity costs Rp1,444.70 per kWh on the common 1,300–2,200 VA connection. Subsidised Pertalite remains Rp10,000 a litre, but the non-subsidised Pertamax that many newer engines are designed for reached Rp15,950 in September. The calculator below shows what that means per month.
What a month of driving costs: electricity vs petrol
Energy cost only. Adjust distance and efficiency, or switch the fuel the petrol car uses.
Defaults: PLN household tariff R-1 1,300–2,200 VA, Rp1,444.70/kWh (September 2026); Pertalite Rp10,000/L and Pertamax Rp15,950/L (late September 2026). Efficiency values are illustrative assumptions, not manufacturer claims. Public fast charging usually costs more per kWh than home charging; move the electricity slider to model it. Excludes purchase price, insurance, tax and maintenance.
At 1,500 km a month, an electric car charged at home costs roughly Rp310,000 in electricity under these assumptions. A petrol car doing 13 km per litre costs about Rp1.15 million on Pertalite, or Rp1.84 million on Pertamax. Over a year the difference is Rp10–18 million, which for a Rp200 million car is a meaningful share of the purchase price.
Supply. BYD did not wait for the factory to open its doors. Detik reports that the Subang plant quietly started production in April 2026 with 198 cars, then ramped to 9,736 units in August alone, 24,877 Atto 1 and M6 DM units in five months. Local production removed the import bottleneck and the price risk that came with the end of the CBU incentive.
The policy bet behind the numbers
The CBU scheme was always a trade. Brands could import fully built EVs without duty in 2024 and 2025 if they committed to build the same number locally later, a 1:1 ratio. BYD imported under a quota of 100,000 units and now carries an obligation to produce about 92,000 cars in Indonesia. Its plant in Subang Smartpolitan covers 126 hectares, has a stated capacity of 150,000 vehicles a year and employs more than 5,000 people at the start, with the company projecting over 20,000 at full capacity.
That is the real story behind the August ranking. The Atto 1 is not only a popular product. It is evidence that a market-access deal, cheap imports in exchange for factories, produced the factories. Whether the deal works for Indonesia in the long run depends on local content: how many batteries, motors and components are made in the country rather than assembled from imported kits.
The Atto 1 at number one is less a story about one car than about a trade: two years of cheap imports in exchange for a factory that now sets the price of the entry segment.
Chinese brands now own the electric segment
The Atto 1 led in August, but it is not the year-to-date leader. From January to August 2026 the Jaecoo J5 EV, from Chery's Jaecoo brand, delivered 23,359 units against the Atto 1's 19,909, with Geely's EX2 third at 9,769. Every one of the ten best-selling EV models over those eight months comes from a Chinese brand. BYD says it sold more than 40,700 EVs in the period and holds 37% of the national EV market.
Four plug-in models in Indonesia's top 15
Wholesale units by passenger car model. Switch to the year-to-date EV leaders.
Source: Gaikindo wholesale data compiled by RCTI+ (passenger car ranking, August 2026) and Otodream (EV ranking, January–August 2026). A ranking that includes commercial vehicles lists the Atto 1 at 5,538 units, ahead of the Daihatsu Gran Max pick-up at 4,346.
The Japanese brands are not losing the market as a whole. Toyota still delivered 20,357 cars in August, a quarter of the total, and Daihatsu 13,214. But BYD is now the third-largest brand by wholesales, with 7,870 units, ahead of Suzuki, Mitsubishi and Honda. Jaecoo is seventh. The segment where Chinese brands are winning is the one that matters most for the future: the entry-level car bought by a household moving up from a motorcycle or replacing its first car.
What could slow it down
- Charging outside the home. PLN added 4,655 public charging machines in 2025, bringing its network to 3,007 locations. That is fast growth, but thin coverage for an archipelago, and still concentrated on Java and along toll roads.
- Resale value. Indonesian buyers weigh resale heavily. Used EV prices, battery health and how fast new models make old ones look dated are still unknown quantities.
- Price wars. Several Chinese brands now compete below Rp250 million. Discounts help buyers today but can erode dealer networks and after-sales investment.
- Policy drift. The industry is still lobbying over VAT and luxury-tax incentives. A change in fiscal treatment could move prices quickly, in either direction.
| Factor | Then (2024–2025) | Now (2026) | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Imported EVs | CBU imports duty-free under quota | Exemption ended 31 Dec 2025; 1:1 local production due | Factories, local pricing |
| Entry price | Most EVs above Rp300 million | Atto 1 from Rp199 million; several rivals near Rp200–250 million | EV enters first-car territory |
| BEV share of sales | About 13% in 2025 | About 17% Jan–Aug, 21% in August | Mainstream, not niche |
| Top EV brands | Wuling, Hyundai, early BYD | Jaecoo, BYD, Geely: all top 10 models Chinese | Competitive pressure on Japanese brands |
| Public charging | 2,192 PLN locations (2024) | 3,007 locations after 2025 | Improving, still uneven |
What it means beyond cars
For businesses, the shift is already visible in places that have little to do with showrooms. Ride-hailing fleets, logistics operators and property developers are the next layer: home charging changes what a residential listing needs, and fleet operators can now buy EVs at prices that match the vehicles they replace. Marketing changes too. A segment once won with low monthly instalments and resale promises is now contested with running-cost arithmetic, software features and warranty terms.
For the market, the August ranking is a signal rather than a verdict. A single month can be shaped by dealer stocking and launches. But the direction across the year is consistent: EVs nearly doubled while the overall market grew 20%. If the trend holds through the year-end sales season, 2026 will be remembered as the year an electric car became an ordinary choice in Indonesia, not a statement.
Frequently asked questions
What was the best-selling car in Indonesia in August 2026?
The BYD Atto 1, with 5,560 units delivered to dealers in Gaikindo's passenger-car wholesale data, ahead of the Toyota Avanza (3,442) and the Jaecoo J5 EV (3,214).
How much does the BYD Atto 1 cost in Indonesia?
In September 2026 the Jakarta on-the-road price was about Rp199 million for the Standard variant, Rp210 million for the Dynamic and Rp245 million for the Premium. Prices vary by dealer and region.
How many electric cars were sold in Indonesia in 2026?
From January to August 2026, battery electric car wholesales reached 101,171 units, almost double the same period of 2025 and close to the full-year 2025 total of 103,931.
What is the best-selling electric car in Indonesia in 2026 so far?
Over January to August 2026 the Jaecoo J5 EV leads with 23,359 units, followed by the BYD Atto 1 with 19,909 and the Geely EX2 with 9,769.
Did Indonesia end its electric car incentives?
The import-duty exemption for fully imported (CBU) electric cars ended on 31 December 2025. Brands that imported under it must now produce locally on a 1:1 basis. The status of other fiscal incentives, such as VAT relief, remains under discussion.
Where is BYD's factory in Indonesia?
In Subang Smartpolitan, West Java. It was officially opened on 3 September 2026, started production in April 2026 and has a stated capacity of 150,000 vehicles a year.
Is an electric car cheaper to run than a petrol car in Indonesia?
For energy alone, usually yes when charging at home. At Rp1,444.70 per kWh, 1,500 km a month costs roughly Rp310,000 in electricity for an efficient small EV, against about Rp1.15 million on Pertalite for a petrol car doing 13 km per litre. Public fast charging costs more.
Sources
- 15 Mobil Terlaris di Indonesia Agustus 2026, RCTI+
- Mobil Terlaris Agustus 2026, BYD Atto 1 Geser Daihatsu Gran Max Pikap, RCTI+/Okezone
- 10 Merek Mobil Terlaris Agustus 2026, CNN Indonesia, 9 September 2026
- Penjualan Wholesale Mobil di Indonesia Meningkat pada Agustus 2026, Databoks
- Penjualan Mobil Listrik Indonesia Tembus 101 Ribu Unit, Kilasjatim, 15 September 2026
- Mobil Listrik Terlaris Januari–Agustus 2026, Otodream
- BYD catat penjualan 40.700 unit EV hingga Agustus 2026, ANTARA, 10 September 2026
- Insentif Dihapus, Laju Eksponensial Penjualan Mobil Listrik Terhenti?, Bisnis.com, 19 February 2026
- Penjualan Mobil 2025 Turun, CNBC Indonesia, 12 January 2026
- Electric vehicle sales in Indonesia surpass 10,000 units in 2022, Databoks
- Penjualan Mobil Listrik Nasional Capai 17.000 Unit di Tahun 2023, Kontan
- Pabrik BYD di Subang Sudah Produksi Mobil Sejak April 2026, Detikoto
- Pabrik BYD di Subang Resmi Beroperasi, iNews
- BYD Setop Impor, Ada Kewajiban Produksi 92.000 Mobil, Kompas Otomotif, 5 September 2026
- Update OTR BYD Atto 1 September 2026, Moladin
- Harga Termurah Avanza Jakarta Juni 2026, Auto2000
- Tarif Listrik Lengkap Periode 14–20 September 2026, Metro TV News
- Harga BBM Pertamina Hari Ini, JournalArta, 27 September 2026
- Sepanjang 2025 PLN Hadirkan 4.655 Mesin SPKLU, BCA Sekuritas
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