Changan Reveals Major Strategy in Indonesia, Focusing on EVs and REEVs

In the midst of increasingly intense electric vehicle competition in Indonesia, Changan Indonesia, together with Indomobil Group, is preparing a serious strategy to expand the market for its electrified vehicles. Not only focusing on Jakarta, Changan is now aggressively building a dealer network, holding electric vehicle exhibitions in major Indonesian cities, and preparing a 7-seater SUV specifically for the Indonesian market. Interestingly, Indonesia is even said to have the potential to become the first country to receive the 7-seater SUV from Changan. This step is taken because the Chinese manufacturer sees that Indonesian consumers have different characteristics compared to other countries in Asia. The majority of its consumers come from petrol or ICE vehicle users who are starting to switch to electric vehicles. This phenomenon is interesting because it shows that the Indonesian EV market is beginning to move from just early adopters to general consumers who previously still relied on conventional petrol cars. “To accelerate market penetration, Changan and Indomobil are also starting to hold special electric vehicle exhibitions in various major cities. Unlike regular exhibitions, this expo only features EV vehicles without petrol or diesel models,” explained CEO of Changan Indonesia Setiawan Surya, in Jakarta, on Monday (11/5/2026). This step is taken as a way to read the regional market’s response to electric vehicles, especially after fuel prices have increased in recent times. “The idea is because fuel prices have risen, so we’re making a special all-EV exhibition,” said Setiawan. After Jakarta, this EV roadshow will continue to Yogyakarta, Surabaya, and Bandung. Changan wants to see how much potential the market outside Jabodetabek has, which has so far been considered saturated by the many new EV brands. On the other hand, Changan is also accelerating the development of its dealer network. By the end of the year, Changan targets having around 20 dealers in Indonesia. Several cities such as Jakarta, Surabaya, Bandung, Bali, and Yogyakarta are already being prepared as expansion bases. However, the most interesting is the plan to introduce a 7-seater SUV specifically for Indonesia. Currently, Changan’s global line-up mostly uses a 5-passenger configuration. Therefore, Indonesia continues to push the principal to develop a 7-seater version of the Q07 model. “In other countries, mostly 5-seater is sufficient, but Indonesia is different,” revealed Setiawan.