Six years after Indonesia set a national commitment to promote Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs), cities across the country have begun adopting electric buses. Jakarta led the way in 2022, followed by Medan, Surabaya, and Pekanbaru. Progress has been steady, but scaling up remains a steep climb. With a strong fiscal capacity and a dedicated public transportation authority, Jakarta has been the fastest-growing metropolitan region in the nation, being the largest and most populous. Trials began in 2019, and by 2022, the city committed to 100% electrification of its public transport by 2030. By 2024, operating costs per kilometre for Transjakarta’s electric buses were already 5% lower than those of diesel buses, enabling the government to serve more passengers with the same subsidy. Other cities are also making headway beyond Jakarta. Since 2024, Medan has implemented 60 electric BRT buses, Surabaya operates twelve buses, and Yogyakarta and Semarang have launched small pilots. Pekanbaru made history in June 2025 by becoming the first city to launch a permanent electric feeder bus service.
The post Why More National Action is Needed for Indonesia’s E-Bus Transition first appeared on Institute for Transportation and Development Policy.
