The gap is easy to explain. Charging stations are still few and far between beyond major cities. Prices are still high in relation to the typical cost of a conventional car. And a lot of drivers just don’t have that kind of trust in the technology yet.

This paper examines the reasons behind the slowing down of the market, what can be learned from the global experience, and how smart charging technology – an invisible intermediate layer, connecting the grid, the vehicle, and the user – could help Indonesia to catch up.

Indonesia Ambitious Goal vs The Market Picture

The government has pledged carbon neutrality by 2060. Ambitious goals have been adopted across every front, including local production of EVs and infrastructure rollouts. But the numbers on the ground tell a more cautious story.

Today, Indonesians have barely any ownership of EVs so far, with only 7% of the country owning one, but almost 78% saying they’d consider EV ownership in the near future. That optimism crashes into reality: people are anxious about cost, about range, and about whether they’ll find a working charger when they need one.

Exactly that intersection is what Pingalax, a smart charging-focused digital energy company, has been working on; turning a weak link into a strength. Sales are increasing, yet Indonesia is still catching up. Even China, where EV adoption is already over 40 percent of new sales, and Norway, which has exceeded 80 percent. Indonesia remains in single digits.

Why? Incentives exist, but infrastructure lags. In Jakarta, chargers are available in malls and the basement of offices. Head to the jungle of Kalimantan or the mountains of Sulawesi, and suddenly the prospect of a shortage of power looms large. Adoption is going to be slow until that fear goes away.

What Consumers Say Ask around, and one hears the same:

• “Where do I charge?” — Almost 60% say their biggest concern is the absence of public chargers.
• “Why so expensive?” — 31 percent say upfront price is the largest obstacle.
• “Will the battery last?” — There’s still uncertainty about battery health and replacement costs.

These are not questions confined to Indonesia. The difference is in how other countries have answered them. Norway offered generous subsidies. China installed more than a million public chargers. The U.S. is spending billions on infrastructure. Indonesia is yet to manifest such urgency.

Why Smart Charging Matters?

Charge smartly isn’t just about being quick. It is about intelligence. Rather than just blasting out power, smart chargers can:

• Charge when you want for big savings in electricity costs.
• Distribute loads between a few stations, so as not to trip the grid.
• Hook up to solar panels or storage batteries to create energy that is cheaper and greener.

In Indonesia, a place where grid stability and affordability are perennial problems, this technology is not a nice-to-have — it is a must-have. Pingalax has a portfolio that is designed for various requirements:

• Standard Series DC Quick chargers (60 – 240 kW): For highway corridors and fleet depots.
• Race Series AC chargers (7-22 kW) for home and business use, with smart load management.
• Mondrian Series Fast DC Chargers (20-40 kW) For high-density urban sites.

Each of these is linked via the Pingalax OS, the platform that enables operators to remotely monitor, balance loads dynamically, and add renewable sources. In other words: hardware and the smarts to run it smart.

Policy and Partnerships

The government is intervening: tax breaks, cuts to value-added tax, and nationwide charging pillars. But policy is not the sole way to close the gap. The private sector — malls, real estate developers, fleets — needs to get involved. Every parking lot, apartment building, and depot that puts in EV chargers will make a difference.

Learning from Global Leaders

• China went big: Over one million chargers are now installed.
• Norway combined sales of EVs with free public recharging and tax breaks.
• Half a million chargers: The United States unveiled a USD 7.5 billion plan.

The common thread: a combination of infrastructure, incentives, and private-sector participation.

Indonesia’s future is still unwritten. The opportunities are obvious:

• More charging — public and home — to lessen anxiety.
• Smarter systems — artificial intelligence-powered scheduling and monitoring to control costs.
• Domestic industry — nickel reserves offer Indonesia a shot at being a global battery hub.

EV adoption in Indonesia is about more than just cars. It is building the invisible things like the systems that make those cars possible. Charging, incentives, consumer education, and industry collaboration — all of it has to move together.

Pingalax is at the heart of this conundrum, serving up certified chargers, intelligent software, and the community partnerships driving Indonesia’s EV evolution. The way will be difficult, but the path is clear.