Current chair of ASEAN woos investment, promotes ecosystem for new energy vehicles

LABUAN BAJO, Indonesia — There were about a dozen cars on standby at around 8:30 am at the Wuling Motors Indonesia camp during the 42nd ASEAN Summit from May 10-11, out of a fleet of 50 cars.

The other Wuling Air electric vehicles were on duty. The Wuling EVs were in Indonesia to provide commuter services for delegations to and from the summit from May 9-11 in the tourist town of Labuan Bajo in East Nusa Tenggara province.

Over 370 EVs were deployed to provide the biannual summit with transportation, including 282 specifically used for delegates.

Dian Asmahani, brand and marketing director for Wuling Sales Indonesia, said Wuling was proud to be part of the service for the summit, as well as Indonesia's efforts to develop an EV ecosystem both at home and in Southeast Asia.

As with its Group of 20 presidency last year, Indonesia — the current Association of Southeast Asian Nations' chair — employed the summit to promote the development of an EV ecosystem in ASEAN, a key step in its domestic and regional new energy transition to reduce emissions.

An agreement on this would be ratified at the summit, according to Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi earlier this year.

"The theme of the 42nd ASEAN summit is ASEAN Matters: Epicentrum of Growth. As reflected by the use of EVs during the ASEAN summit, Indonesia is keen to accelerate the transition to greener mobility within the region and wants to make ASEAN the epicenter of growth for electric vehicles as well," Asmahani said.

As the official auto partner at the G20 summit held on the resort island of Bali in November 2022, Wuling provided 300 cars for transportation services. For another ASEAN summit scheduled for September this year, many Wuling EVs will also be in service, Asmahani said, adding, "I think Wuling as a car brand wants to actively participate in EV growth and also the enhancement of electrification in Indonesia."

The Indonesian government has announced policies to woo investment for developing an EV industrial chain from upstream to downstream, and it plans to provide incentives for the sales of 200,000 electric motorcycles and 35,900 electric cars by the end of this year.

Asmahani thinks subsidizing 10 percent of the value-added tax for EV buyers since April demonstrates particularly strong support from the government for developing the EV ecosystem.

In 2022, official data showed the Indonesian automotive market saw sales of about 1.048 million units, including over 30,000 Wuling cars, or 2.9 percent. The Wuling Air EV model ranks top in sales in the new energy vehicle segment, accounting for over 78 percent of the total.

The new energy model has turned out to be Indonesian consumers' favorite, boasting cumulative sales of over 8,600 units since its launch in August.