Nickel-based Electric Vehicle Battery Incentives Could Be Higher, Says Chery

Jakarta – Indonesia’s government plans to raise incentives for nickel-based battery electric vehicles, drawing attention from automotive players including Chery. The majority of Chery’s EVs currently use Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) batteries. However, Chery says it is still awaiting official government regulations before taking further strategic steps. ‘We don’t have a fixed rule yet. There’s still no definite regulation. We’re following up, looking closely, and our team is analysing,’ said Zeng Shuo in Jakarta (18 May 2026). ‘But for now, there’s no news, so we are waiting for updates as well,’ he added. In this scheme, electric vehicles that use nickel-based batteries are said to receive larger subsidies than non-nickel EVs. The policy is intended to support downstream nickel utilisation domestically while strengthening the national battery industry. ‘Why I am using nickel with a larger subsidy, because so that our batteries will be used,’ Purbaya said. ‘There should ideally be more official information and clearer details; we can discuss this further once that happens,’ said Zeng Shuo. At present, Chery remains focused on strengthening its investment in Indonesia through Completely Knocked Down (CKD) local assembly for various electrified vehicle models.