Electric Car Tax Increase: Consumer Community Disappointed, Interest May Decline?

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com – A new policy on electric vehicle taxes has elicited varied responses from the public, including user communities. After previously receiving various incentives, electric cars are no longer entirely tax-free following the issuance of the latest regulations. This change has led some users to feel burdened, particularly because one of the main attractions of electric vehicles has been lower ownership costs, including taxes. According to him, the increase in tax burden could reduce public interest in switching to electric vehicles. “It’s a shame that the tax value has to change to be so high compared to before, when one of the considerations for using electric cars was the tax relief. Moreover, it also helps in reducing air pollution,” said Joni to Kompas.com on Wednesday (22/4/2026). He hopes the government can review the policy, especially amid current economic conditions and rising fuel prices. “I hope it can be reconsidered in the current economic situation where fuel prices are also getting higher and more people are switching to electric cars. Precisely to get operational cost relief, but this is instead burdened on the taxation side,” he said. He assessed that the policy change that is too quick makes consumers feel disadvantaged. “I am now a user of the Aletra L8 EV and founder of the Aletra L8 Owners Club Indonesia (ALOCI). I come from the electric car online taxi community which is also an electric car community; we are very disappointed with this very quick regulatory change, it feels like we’ve been pranked. One of the things that attracted us was the cheap tax. But after we bought it, the tax was raised,” said Zyovani. He also emphasised the importance of policy consistency to avoid uncertainty among the public and industry players. “We hope it’s not rushed. Study it deeply. Make sustainable policies, don’t change them around and be uncertain in direction,” he said. Responses from this community show that fiscal policy changes not only impact cost figures but also consumer perceptions and trust in the direction of electric vehicle development in Indonesia.