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Blue Bird looks to China’s BYD to build EV fleet
PT Blue Bird reportedly plans to procure the lion’s share of its future electric vehicle (EV) fleet from China’s BYD, the world’s second-largest manufacturer of EVs, after United States-based Tesla.
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A driver plugs in a Bluebird e-taxi during the debut of the company's electric taxi in Jakarta on April 22, 2019. (JP/Seto Wardhana)
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ublicly listed PT Blue Bird reportedly plans to procure the lion’s share of its future electric vehicle (EV) fleet from China’s BYD, the world’s second-largest manufacturer of EVs, after United States-based Tesla.
Indonesia’s largest taxi operator said it would turn to BYD for 80 percent of its EV fleet while reviewing its Tesla orders, Bloomberg reported on Wednesday.
According to the report, Blue Bird plans to order 500 EVs this year, mostly from the Chinese company, whose E6 and T3 models are deemed a good fit for the Indonesian market.
“If the price is too high, it would be unreasonable for us to then pass it on to customers, so we need to consider this,” Blue Bird president director Sigit Djokosoetono told Bloomberg in an interview, adding: “We use a lot of imported BYD models as the price is supportive for us to operate in Indonesia.”
Read also: Luhut claims progress on Tesla as govt rolls out EV incentives
The government has pitched Indonesia as an investment destination for major EV manufacturers including BYD and Tesla.
Both companies have indicated interest in Southeast Asia’s largest economy, which is one of the leading producers of nickel, a key material for the production of EV batteries.
