What happened
State electricity company PLN says 17,725 electric vehicles were operating on Bali as of October 2026. Roughly 5,000 are cars and more than 12,000 are motorbikes. Ajrun Karim, general manager of PLN's Bali distribution unit, gave the figures in Denpasar on Thursday.
A photo released by PLN shows an ultra fast SPKLU charger rated at 180 kW. It is installed at the Nexx Luxury Showroom and Café in Denpasar.
How fast the fleet is growing
Karim said the island counted about 14,000 electric cars and bikes when he arrived in March 2026. By July the number was close to 15,000. October data puts it at 17,725.
That is an increase of roughly 3,700 units in about seven months. Growth between July and October was clearly faster than between March and July. PLN reads this as rising public appetite for electric transport on the island.
Motorbikes make up more than two thirds of the fleet. That fits Bali, where the scooter remains the main way to get around for residents and visitors alike.
Charging network and private capital
Bali currently has about 304 SPKLU units, the Indonesian term for public EV charging stations, spread over 115 sites. Some were built by PLN and some by private operators.
Karim said charging capacity has to keep pace with vehicle numbers. PLN wants private investors to take the locations where demand for charging is strongest. The utility will cover areas that do not yet attract commercial interest.
“Where to charge is no longer an issue, because it is already very easy,” Karim said.
Denpasar and the Sanur low emission zone
Denpasar deputy mayor I Kadek Agus Arya Wibawa tied the shift to the city's push for low emission areas and sustainable transport.
The city already has Mayor Regulation No. 40 of 2023 on the use of battery electric vehicles, known locally as KBLBB. It also has Mayor Regulation No. 39 of 2025, which governs traffic and road transport inside the Sanur low emission zone.
Arya said quality tourism on Bali should be judged by clean air as well as by attractive destinations. He added that government, PLN and private business need to work together to move mobility in a greener direction.
Context: why this matters for the island
PLN runs power distribution across the whole of Bali. The utility says it will build chargers where private investors are not yet interested.
Bali's economy runs on tourism, and much of the daily movement of guests and staff happens on crowded roads in the resort districts. Traffic and noise have long been part of life in Canggu, Seminyak and the southern coast. Moving part of that traffic to electric power changes what buildings need: parking with sockets, enough grid connection capacity, and service for rented cars and bikes.
Denpasar officials frame their policy around quality tourism rather than visitor numbers at any cost. Electric vehicles and low emission zones fit that approach. Mayoral regulations already cover electric vehicles and traffic in Sanur.
What it means for residents and business
Electric mobility on Bali is no longer a niche. Close to 18,000 vehicles create steady demand for charging, and PLN is openly offering that demand to private operators.
In Sanur, the low emission zone rules shape how guests and staff reach properties in the area.
PLN did not publish returns on charging stations or the terms of partnership. Investors interested in the segment will need to request those details directly.