Volvo Cars Indonesia sees that premium segment consumers in Indonesia are still quite careful about electric cars. Currently, they are still trying to make the transition from conventional cars to pure electric cars by choosing a Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV).
General Manager of Volvo Cars Indonesia Haryanto Djayaputra said that currently, sales of Volvo electrified cars in Indonesia have reached 216 units. Of the total sales, PHEV was recorded as contributing 50 percent of sales. Likewise, Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) has the same percentage.
“Currently sales are balanced between PHEV and BEV. This is because there is still some hesitation among consumers to immediately switch to pure electric cars,” he explained.
He said there are still many consumers in Indonesia who want their electric cars to be used for long distances.
“Pure electric cars are more widely used in the capital city area with complete supporting infrastructure,” he explained.
Haryanto Djayaputra continued that the PHEV model is the right technology to be implemented in Indonesia, which is transitioning from the use of internal combustion cars to electricity.
“To experience the full BEV experience, mild hybrids still have limitations with small batteries. We see this PHEV as a bridge to move from internal combustion engines to full electricity,” he explained.
Even though there are obstacles from the consumer side and supporting infrastructure, Haryanto Djayaputra said that Volvo is ready to market electrification products in the Indonesian automotive market.
“Currently, Volvo is more concerned with battery life span, and technicians who can handle high-voltage batteries. To be able to handle this, technicians must have certification, it takes three months to understand,” said Haryanto Djayaputra.
He emphasized that understanding electric cars is the most important thing. One of them is knowing how to handle high-voltage batteries because according to him, they can be fatal if handled incorrectly.
“Apart from that, technicians also can handle ICEs up to plug-in hybrids which combine ICE and batteries. “Because Volvo still provides services to old vehicle owners,” said Haryanto Djayaputra.
