The market for heavy-duty trucks over 16 tons gvw was the hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic last year, with international trade, fixed investment, mining sector output and construction activity all sharply lower.

The market for medium-duty trucks between 5-16 tons gvw continued to dive lower in the fourth quarter of 2020, by over 36% to 13,105 units after declining by more than 14% to 20,593 units in the same period of the previous year.

The Indonesian market for other light commercial vehicles of 2-5 tons gvw declined by almost 16% to 9,531 units in the fourth quarter of 2020 from 11,235 units a year earlier, with the decline beginning to slow compared with previous quarters.

The Indonesian pickup truck segment is almost entirely made up of models imported as built-up units from Thailand.

The Indonesian market for commercial vehicles over 2 tons gvw continued to plunge in the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2020, by more than 32% to 29,334 units from 43,257 units in the same period of the previous year, based on AsiaMotorBusiness.com analysis of industry data.

PT Transportasi Jakarta (Transjakarta), the main public bus consortium for Indonesia’s capital city Jakarta, in December announced it wants to have 10,000 electric buses in service by 2030, according to local reports.

The Indonesian market for medium and large buses and coaches virtually collapsed in the fourth quarter of 2020; falling by over 77% to just 242 units from 1,065 units a year earlier, resulting in a decline of more than 52% in full-year sales to 1,950 units.

Competition in the Philippine light truck and bus market has intensified significantly in recent months with the launch of the Isuzu Traviz and the return of the Mitsubishi L300 at the end of September.

Joko Widodo, president of Indonesia has announced he plans to increase crude palm oil content in diesel used by vehicles in the country to 30% at the beginning of next year, up from the current 20%.

Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation introduced six new variants of its medium-duty Fighter truck at the Gaikindo Indonesia International Auto Show in Jakarta in July.

PT Daimler Commercial Vehicles Indonesia in March used the show to launch its latest version of the Mercedes-Benz OF 917 front-engine bus chassis.

The Indonesian pickup truck market declined by almost 17% to 5,222 units in the first quarter after growing by two-thirds to 6,280 units in the same period a year earlier.