How one country set aside nearly $500M for electric vehicle subsidies, but not for cars
The age of electric vehicles is upon us, and has been for years now. Electric cars have received most of the attention, but in many countries, it is actually electric two-wheelers like e-motorcycles and e-bikes that are silently revolutionizing the way people commute.
As people become increasingly aware of the economic, environmental, and health benefits of e-motorcycles, especially in countries that are dominated by two-wheeled transportation, more individuals and governments have begun embracing them as an alternative to traditional combustion cars and motorcycles.
Indonesia is one such country, and its government has already made significant strides in urging its citizens toward electric motorcycle adoption.
Motorcycle use in Indonesia is exceptionally prevalent, making it an indispensable mode of transportation for millions of people. In fact, while there are only around 20 million cars in the country, Indonesia is home to around 125 million motorcycles.
As the world’s fourth most populous country, Indonesia’s dense urban areas and underdeveloped public transportation systems have led to a surge in motorcycle ownership and usage. Motorcycles serve as a cost-effective, convenient, and time-saving alternative to cars, which often struggle to navigate through traffic-congested streets. In recent years, the rise of motorcycle taxi services, known as “ojek,” has further cemented the importance of motorcycles in Indonesia’s daily life. These motorcycle taxis provide essential transportation services to countless individuals while also offering employment opportunities for many drivers. Overall, motorcycles have become deeply ingrained in Indonesian culture, shaping both the urban landscape and the everyday lives of its citizens.
But with the masses of motorcycles thronging Indonesian streets has also come huge emissions problems. And so Indonesia has recently pushed hard to convert its massive 125 million fleet of motorcycles toward electrification.
Late last year the country announced a plan to put 2 million electric motorcycles on the road in the next three years. To help expedite that massive movement toward emissions-free motorcycles, Indonesia has now announced 7 trillion rupiahs (approximately US $460M) in subsidies for electric motorcycle purchases through the end of next year.
Indonesian Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati expected the subsidies to cover sales of around 800,000 new electric motorcycles as well as the conversion of 200,000 combustion engine motorcycles to electric drive.
The move is designed to jump-start the adoption of electric motorcycles, especially in light of the rather small number currently in the country. According to the Association of the Indonesian Motorcycle Industry, there were just over 30,000 electric motorbike owners in the country as of October 2022.
That puts electric motorcycles at a fraction of a percent of total motorcycles, though the Indonesian government has been promoting electrification of motorcycles on many fronts.
This new subsidy marks the government’s strongest push yet, but it follows other efforts, such as the approval of a pilot partnering with Gogoro’s swappable battery electric scooters, as well as using fleets of electric motorcycles from Zero Motorcycles, Energica, Gogoro, and NIU during the recent G20 summit.
Electric motorcycles may only make up a tiny fraction of overall motorcycles in Indonesia today, but with nearly a half billion US dollars in subsidies, that figure is sure to grow considerably.
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Compton, California, has unveiled 25 new electric school buses – the school district’s first – and 25 Tellus 180 kW DC fast chargers.
Compton Unified School District (CUSD) in southern Los Angeles County is putting 17 Thomas Built Type A and eight Thomas Built Type C electric school buses on the road this spring. In addition to working with Thomas Built, CUSD also collaborated with electrification-as-a-service provider Highland Electric Fleet, utility Southern California Edison, and school transportation provider Durham School Services.
Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Clean School Bus Program awarded funds for the vehicles in the program’s first round. EPA also awarded CUSD funds for the third round of the program and anticipates introducing an additional 25 EV school buses in the future.
“I can’t stress enough how vital grants like these are and the need for continued support from our partners in government at the state and federal level to fund additional grants for school districts and their transportation partners that are ready to deliver and operate zero-emission buses,” said Tim Wertner, CEO of Durham School Services.
CUSD, which serves Compton and parts of the cities of Carson and Los Angeles, currently serves more than 17,000 students at 36 sites. The district has a high school graduation rate of 93% and an 88% college acceptance rate. One in 11 children in Los Angeles County have asthma, which makes the need for emissions-free school transportation that much more pressing.
Read more: Thomas Built Buses debuts its next-gen electric school bus
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After cutting lease prices by $200 this month, the Rivian R1S is now surprisingly affordable. It may even be a better deal than the new Tesla Model Y.
Rivian cuts R1S lease prices by $200 per month
Rivian’s R1S is one of the hottest electric SUVs on the market. If you haven’t checked it out yet, you’re missing out.
With some of the best deals to date, now may be the time. Rivian lowered R1S lease prices earlier this month to just $599 for 36 months, with $8,493 due at signing (30,000 miles). The offer is for the new 2025 R1S Adventure Dual Standard, which starts at $75,900.
Before the price cut, the R1S was listed at $799 per month, with $8,694 due at signing. The electric SUV now has the same lease price as the R1T, despite costing $6,000 more.
The 2025 R1T Dual Motor starts at $69,900, essentially making it a free $6,000 upgrade. At that price, you may even want to consider it over the new Tesla Model Y.
Tesla’s new Model Y Launch Series arrived with lease prices of $699 for 36 months. With $4,393 due at signing, the effective rate is $821 per month, or just $13 less than the R1S at $834. However, the 2025 R1S costs nearly $15,000 more, with the Model Y Launch Series price at $59,990.
Rivian is also offering an “All-Electric Upgrade Offer” of up to $6,000 for those looking to trade-in their gas-powered car, but base models are not included.
| Starting Price | Range (EPA-est.) |
|
| 2025 Rivian R1S Dual Standard | $75,900 | 270 miles |
| 2026 Tesla Model Y Launch Series | $59,990 | 327 miles |
To take advantage of the Rivian R1S lease deal, you must order it before March 15 and take delivery on or before March 31, 2025.
The 2025 Rivian R1S Dual Standard Motor has an EPA-estimated range of up to 270 miles. Tesla’s new Model Y Launch Series gets up to 327 miles.
Which electric SUV would you choose? Rivian’s R1S or the new Tesla Model Y? If you’re ready to check them out for yourself, you can use our links below to find deals on the Rivian R1S and Tesla Model Y in your area.
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Tesla says it can deliver new orders for the refreshed Model Y within two weeks in China. Is the automaker already experiencing a demand problem with the new Model Y?
Last month, Tesla launched the new Model Y in China. The vehicle features an updated design and new features that bring it closer to the recently refreshed Model 3.
Tesla has now started delivering the Long Range AWD updated Model Y in China this week.
But along with the start of deliveries, Tesla also opened orders for the non-Launch edition and the Standard Range RWD:
There were rumors coming from China that Tesla managed to get hundreds of thousands of orders for the new Model Y, which is not impossible since it would be just a few months of production for the best-selling EVs, but now Tesla’s updated configurator raised questions about these rumors.
Tesla says it can deliver a new Model Y RWD order placed today in “2 to 4 weeks” in China.
The Long Range AWD Model Y takes a bit longer at “6-10 weeks” for new orders.
Based on insurance data, Tesla’s deliveries in 2025 are currently down about 7,000 units compared to the same period last year.
Electrek’s Take
There’s no doubt that the Model Y changeover is going to hurt Tesla in Q1. The question is, by how much?
I am surprised to see that you can place an order right now and get on in just 2-4 weeks. It does point to soft demand for the RWD version, at least.
It’s going to be interesting to track deliveries through March. Tesla will need to deliver over 50,000 vehicles next month to arrive at similar levels as it did last year.
It looks like the production ramp is going well, so demand might be the bigger factor.
As for the Model 3, Tesla is already pulling all the demand levers in order for the sedan to contribute, but everything points to the new Model Y being the different maker.
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