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View all search resultsRp 3 million ‘not enough’ to make bikers go electric
As the government plans to roll out a new consumer subsidy, motorcycle riders say the discount alone is not enough to make them switch from their conventional bikes to new electric ones.
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An electric motorcycle user charges it on April 20, 2026, at a public charging station operated by PLN in Surakarta, Central Java. (Antara/Mohammad Ayudha)
B
aihaqi had considered an electric model when he was looking for a new motorcycle a few months ago, but after weighing the costs, he opted for a conventional one, which he uses for his daily commute.
“With electric motorcycles, once you want to sell them, they are almost impossible to resell at a good price. They lose most of their value,” the 28-year-old told The Jakarta Post on Monday.
The government plans to roll a new consumer subsidy to incentivize the switch, but even that will be a hard sell.
“An electric motorcycle may come with a Rp 3 million [US$170] incentive, but that is not enough to offset the drop in the resale value and the cost and availability of spare parts,” Baihaqi said.
He also remains concerned about spare parts and maintenance. While electric motorcycles may have advantages in some areas, he said parts could be difficult to find and maintenance costs would make replacing the motorcycle altogether a more attractive option.
Baihaqi noted that conventional motorcycles were “already relatively affordable”.
He contrasted this with electric cars, where incentives could have a greater impact because of their much higher purchasing prices.
