Driving an electric bus in Jakarta illustrates recent changes in public transport in Indonesia.

Muhammad Iqbal, a public bus driver with more than 20 years of experience, has been operating a Transjakarta electric bus for the past year. The vehicle was imported from China and manufactured by the Chinese electric vehicle maker Skywell.

Chinese buses previously had a poor reputation in Indonesia, with incidents over a decade ago involving breakdowns or fires in buses powered by compressed natural gas, which led Transjakarta to rely primarily on Japanese and European brands.

The situation has since changed. Iqbal stated that the electric bus uses an automatic transmission and eliminates the need for drivers to queue at fuel stations each night. The bus can also be left at a Transjakarta garage to charge overnight before returning to service the following day.

Transjakarta, the primary public bus network in the Indonesian capital, introduced electric buses manufactured by Chinese EV company BYD in 2022. The network now operates a portion of its fleet as electric buses, including vehicles from other Chinese manufacturers such as Skywell and Zhongtong Bus. Transjakarta, which also connects Jakarta with surrounding satellite cities, aims to expand its fleet and achieve full electrification by 2030.

Governments across Southeast Asia have encouraged the adoption of electric buses as part of broader decarbonisation efforts. Chinese EV manufacturers have capitalised on this opportunity, motivated by intense domestic competition and a slowdown in the home market.

Globally, Chinese companies lead electric bus exports, including Yutong Bus and Xiamen King Long United Automotive Industry. In 2025, Chinese exports of fully electric buses increased significantly year on year, compared with a smaller rise in 2024, according to China Auto M.S. Southeast Asian countries currently represent a small share of these exports, but regional demand is expected to grow.

In Indonesia, BYD has partnered with VKTR Teknologi Mobilitas, partly owned by the Bakrie Group. VKTR opened an electric bus and truck assembly plant in Magelang, Central Java, with the goal of delivering buses to Transjakarta in phases.

VKTR reports that 40% of bus components are sourced locally, making it the first company in Indonesia to achieve this milestone and qualifying it for government EV incentives.

VKTR President Gilarsi Wahyu Setijono stated that the assembly plant is currently underutilised but noted that demand in Indonesia is expected to exceed current capacity, citing President Prabowo Subianto's net-zero emissions pledge. He suggested that implementing the policy may require additional plants similar to the Magelang facility.

Chinese electric buses are also operating in other Southeast Asian countries. In Malaysia, electric buses are deployed on several routes, including the Johor Bahru-Singapore route and the Klang Valley bus rapid-transit network. Although the current fleet is small, demand is projected to increase, supported by plans to expand electric bus deployment nationwide over the next five years.

Rick Phang, head of marketing at BYD Malaysia, stated that the company is focused on securing government-linked tenders and expanding into commercial fleets, including logistics, port, and airport operations.

Malaysian manufacturers have entered the market through collaborations with Chinese companies. Johor-based SKS Bus has partnered with CRRC and China Electrical Equipment Group to develop Malaysia's first locally designed electric buses.

In Singapore, the Land Transport Authority awarded a contract in 2025 to a Chinese consortium comprising BYD, MKX Technologies, and Zhidao Network Technology to pilot an autonomous electric bus project. Singapore plans to electrify half of its public bus fleet by 2030 and aims for a fully clean-energy fleet by 2040.

In the Philippines, electric buses are operational through local partners and deployments in major cities, including free public transport in Quezon City. The 2022 Electric Vehicle Industry Development Act requires that government agencies and state-backed corporations have at least 5% of their vehicle fleets electrified.

Vietnam and Thailand currently offer fewer opportunities for Chinese electric bus manufacturers. In Vietnam, local EV manufacturer VinFast dominates the electric bus market and introduced electric bus models in Europe in 2025.

Kim Long Motors, another Vietnamese bus manufacturer, supplies electric buses to municipal networks and connects passengers to public transport systems. Ho Chi Minh City plans for all future bus purchases to be electric, aiming for a fully electric fleet by 2030.

In Thailand, local EV manufacturer Nex Point began producing electric buses in 2020. The Thailand Board of Investment granted the company, listed on the stock exchange, an eight-year tax exemption. Demand is not expected to rise sharply in the coming years due to the government's focus on subways, above-ground trains, and promoting public transport usage.

Security concerns have been raised regarding Chinese electric buses. In early November 2025, Norwegian public transport operator Ruter reported that its fleet of Yutong buses could potentially be manipulated remotely through autonomous software updates, prompting similar investigations in Denmark and the United Kingdom.

Yutong, the world's largest bus manufacturer based in Zhengzhou, China, rejected the claims, stating that software updates are fully isolated from critical safety systems, such as driving and braking, making remote manipulation technically impossible.

In Southeast Asia, Yutong has a presence in Singapore, the Philippines, and Indonesia, although it is unclear if any buses in Indonesia are electric. Yutong entered both countries prior to the EV era.

An executive at a local cybersecurity think tank, stated that governments and bus operators should not dismiss cybersecurity risks, citing potential data theft, including real-time vehicle locations and public mobility patterns, which hold strategic value for commercial and intelligence purposes.

He suggested that the government could adopt a national security policy requiring cyber audits for all imported EV systems.

An executive at another cybersecurity think tank, stated that cybersecurity risks exist irrespective of the manufacturer's origin, whether American, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, or European.

He noted that in the Philippines, Chinese EVs, despite cost efficiency and performance, may become politicised due to ongoing South China Sea tensions, which he described as a recurring challenge for Chinese technology companies, including those involved in 5G networks and electric vehicles.