On the streets of Jakarta, motorbikes aren’t just transportation – they’re a way of life. They deliver your food, move your packages, shuttle families, and keep the city’s heartbeat going. But with over 120 million motorcycles in Indonesia alone, most still powered by combustion engines, this convenience comes at a high cost: air pollution, carbon emissions, and a deepening reliance on fossil fuels.
Electric vehicles are often hailed as the future. But in Southeast Asia, that future has been slow to arrive. Most EV brands treat the transition like a tech upgrade – sell a shinier bike and wait for adoption. Charged, a rising mobility startup based in Jakarta, is taking a radically different route.
Instead of pushing ownership, Charged is offering access. Instead of selling electric motorcycles, it’s renting them through a flexible, all-inclusive subscription.
That might sound simple, but in a region where financing is difficult, maintenance is a burden, and daily riders operate on razor-thin margins, it’s a game-changer.
At the heart of this transformation is Joel Chang, a former BMW executive who walked away from the corporate world after a jarring realization in Beijing – and found his way to Jakarta with one clear mission: to clean the air and shift the region’s mobility model, one electric ride at a time.
Berdaya Talk is an initiative that explores the stories of change makers and the initiatives they have developed to support sustainable development in Indonesia. This time, we are joined by Joel Chang, Group CEO at Charged Asia
Hi Joel, we’d love to hear your story - what first drew you into the world of mobility?
My story starts with a brick – a literal, heavy brick, the kind you’d use to build a house.
In 2016, I was based in Beijing, serving as CEO of a BMW dealer group that covered both China and the ASEAN region. By that point, I’d been with BMW for 13 years. On paper, I was exactly where I had always dreamed of being. I’ve loved cars since I was a kid – it felt like I never really grew up; and my hobby became my career
But then I read a report that changed everything. It said the average resident in Beijing inhales the equivalent of one brick of PM2.5 particulate matter every year that is mostly caused by curb-side pollution.
That image hit me hard. PM2.5 is nasty – small enough to enter the bloodsteam from our lungs and big enough to reduce life expectancy.
I had to ask myself an uncomfortable question: Am I part of the solution – or part of the problem?
The answer was immediate. I was contributing to the problem.
It didn’t matter that I was working at a great company or that I’d accomplished everything I set out to do. Something bigger was calling. So I walked away from the corporate world.
I left the car business and came back to Southeast Asia, asking myself a different kind of question: How can I contribute to this region in a way that actually matters?
If we’re serious about addressing pollution in Southeast Asia, we need to start with combustion motorcycles. There are over 300 million of them in this region.
So I consolidated what I had – my experience, my network, my understanding of this market – and focused it all on one mission: make electric motorcycles a real, scalable solution in Southeast Asia.
That’s how Charged started.
With a newfound mission and a deep understanding of the region, Joel began searching for the right battleground to start. And when it came to scale, urgency, and potential for impact – Indonesia stood out.
Choosing Indonesia - the Epicenter of the Problem
Joel knew that success in the automotive space required more than clever tech; it demanded a strong domestic market, supportive supply chains, and manufacturing muscle.
Indonesia, with its massive two-wheeler market and growing talent pool, was the obvious choice. The Indonesian Motorcycle Industry Association (AISI) projects motorcycle sales in Indonesia to hit 6.7 million units in 2025, up from an expected 6.5 million units by the end of 2024.
“If you want to build electric motorcycles, this is where you start,” he explains. But his decision to zero in on Jakarta was driven by something deeper.
When Joel checked the air monitors in Southeast Asia, Jakarta ranked among the worst.
“If we’re serious about sustainability, we have to go where the need is most urgent"
But building bikes was only one part of the puzzle. The next step was choosing a strategy that could scale, and one that can do so quickly.
Fast-Charging, Not Swapping: A Clear Path Forward
Charged took a clear stance from day one: no battery swapping.
While many EV startups dabbled with swapping, Joel had seen how it played out. Swapping infrastructure is expensive, complex, and difficult to scale. Fast charging, on the other hand, was simpler, cheaper, and increasingly efficient.
Joel saw a future where charging became seamless. “Most people charge at home overnight,” he explains. “It’s the cheapest and most convenient option. Once users get used to it, they love it.” Even for lower-income Indonesians with limited electrical capacity, it’s manageable.
And with the infrastructure question answered, the next challenge was identifying who these bikes were really for.
Building Bikes for the Right People: The B2B Subscription Model
“We start with B2B subscriptions,” Joel says. “That’s where the biggest impact is.”
Why B2B? Because ride-hailing and delivery drivers are on the road the most. Many clock up to 300 kilometers a day. Their fuel bills are massive, their emissions even more so. By switching them to electric, Charged addresses not only environmental concerns but also economic ones. “We’re helping them save money while helping the government reduce fuel subsidies. It’s a win-win.
Charged offers an all-in-one subscription: the bike, the battery, maintenance, insurance – everything. “No headaches,” Joel smiles. “Just ride.”
But Joel’s vision didn’t stop at getting bikes on the road, it extended all the way back to how those bikes were built and powered.
Manufacturing with Integrity: Sustainability Beyond the Ride
Sustainability isn’t just a company slogan for Joel – it’s something he lives every day. He and his family have given up private car ownership entirely. Instead, they rely on Charged’s own EV bikes and shared mobility options to get around. For Joel, it’s about walking the talk – if he’s building a cleaner future, he wants to be part of it, not just talk about it.
That same mindset carries through to Charged as a company. Their “Giga-shed” factory runs entire on solar power, backed by a dedicated energy storage system.
The commitment doesn’t stop there – showrooms, workshops, and even their batteries are powered by solar whenever possible. It’s a company-wide effort to cut emissions at every turn.
In terms of carbon footprint, their operational emissions (Scope 1 and 2) are virtually zero. And while supply chain emissions (Scope 3) are harder to eliminate, they’re doing everything they can to keep those as low as possible too.
However impact doesn’t stop at tackling pollution issues, or leveraging solar powered manufacturing , the company supports its riders beyond transport: insurance, maintenance, savings. The goal is to uplift – not just electrify.
Of course, building a company with that kind of mission isn’t easy. Joel’s path has been anything but straightforward.
What are some important lessons you learnt during your journey as an entrepreneur?
My journey – from BMW boardrooms in China to building EV startups in Jakarta – has been anything but linear. It’s been filled with setbacks, hard pivots, and more moments of doubt than I can count.
This is actually my third EV company. The first two didn’t work out. A lot of people think I’m crazy for trying again – but honestly, I don’t know how to stop.
I’ve always said I’m like a missile: once I lock onto a target, I won’t veer off. It’s not blind confidence – it’s persistence that comes from purpose.
I just keep asking myself, “Why not me?” Even when ten doors slam shut, I go looking for the eleventh.
That doesn’t mean it’s been easy. The emotional toll is real – imposter syndrome, burnout, self-doubt… I’ve felt it all. What keeps me going is my circle – friends, family, teammates – the people who believe in me, especially when I don’t.
At Charged, we’re not just building electric bikes. We’re building belief – belief that Southeast Asia can lead the clean mobility revolution, that sustainability and profitability can go hand-in-hand, and that the biggest problems can be solved by people who just refuse to give up.
Because in the end, I really believe this: As long as I’m still riding, this mission isn’t done. We don’t give up. We charge forward.
