Japan automakers to showcase EVs at Indonesian G-20 meetings

Five Japanese automakers, including Toyota Motor and Nissan Motor, will launch a demonstration of their electric vehicles in Bali this month to coincide with Indonesia’s hosting of meetings of officials from the Group of Twenty.

The companies, including Mitsubishi Motors, Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus, and Isuzu Motors, aim to catch up with South Korean and Chinese rivals in EVs in the Indonesian market, where Japanese brands dominate the conventional auto segment.

The companies are developing a range of technologies, including hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles, battery electric vehicles, and hybrids that retain an internal combustion engine and will demonstrate battery EVs and plug-in hybrids in Bali.

Passenger vehicles will be used at Ngurah Rai International Airport and in the Nusa Dua area, where G-20 meetings are scheduled. The five companies are also preparing to present a commercial logistics lineup.

This is Indonesia’s first year holding the G-20 presidency. Foreign minister and finance minister meetings this month start on July 7, and the leaders’ summit will be in November.

Among Indonesia’s three main focuses at the G-20 helm include transitioning to renewable energy.

EVs are taking off in Southeast Asia with automakers, mainly from China and South Korea, planning to start electric car production in at least three countries there this year. Local production is a key step toward making vehicles more affordable regionally.

South Korea’s Hyundai Motor began full-scale production at its new EV factory in Indonesia in March, and China’s SAIC-GM-Wuling Automobile has unveiled a new mini-electric car slated to start production there this year.

Japanese automakers currently account for around 80% of car sales in Southeast Asia and are racing to catch up on the EV front. Toyota is expected to start selling EVs from Japan in Thailand later this year, and has plans to switch to local production there as early as 2024.

This article first appeared on Nikkei Asia. It has been republished here as part of 36Kr’s ongoing partnership with Nikkei.