Malang’s Electric Motorcycle Workshop Started With 5 Customers, Now Riding the EV Boom

An electric motorcycle workshop in Malang is drawing more riders as higher fuel costs push people to look for cheaper daily transportation. At Electric Mobility, or e-Mobi, most visitors are not coming because their vehicles are broken.

Instead, the busiest request is battery upgrades that help electric motorcycles travel farther on a single charge. That shift reflects how electric vehicles are moving from a future trend into a practical option for everyday mobility.

From a Small Start to a Growing Queue

Electric Mobility is based on Jalan Terusan Ijen Nomor 2B, Kelurahan Bareng, Kota Malang, and has also expanded with branches in Sidoarjo and Gresik. The workshop handles electric motorcycles, battery repairs, lithium battery conversions, and capacity upgrades.

Owner Andi Saputra said he first became familiar with electric vehicles in 2021 and later decided to build the business in 2022 after seeing where the automotive industry was heading. He linked that decision to the push for electric vehicle adoption and the wider use of renewable energy.

“We believe the vehicle trend will shift from conventional to electric. When the government started encouraging electric vehicles such as Gesits, we saw this would keep growing because it is supported by government policy and becomes part of renewable energy use,” Andi said on Thursday, July 2, 2026.

When the workshop first opened in Malang, it had only about 5 customers. As interest in electric motorcycles increased, the number of service requests climbed until the workshop area was often filled with customer vehicles.

Battery Upgrades Lead the Demand

Andi said most customers are not coming because electric motorcycles are often damaged. In fact, he noted that maintenance needs are very low compared with gasoline motorcycles.

The most requested service is increasing battery capacity so the vehicle can go farther. The workshop also handles conversion from gasoline motorcycles to electric motorcycles and already has official certification for that service.

Technicians at e-Mobi also work on battery repairs, replacing lead-acid batteries with lithium batteries, and other capacity improvements. Customers come not only from Malang but also from outside the region, including Jakarta.

The growing demand comes as non-subsidized fuel prices continue to influence how people choose their vehicles. For many owners, electric motorcycles are becoming attractive because operating costs are lighter and the battery is treated as a long-term investment with a service life of up to around 8 years.