Electric Vehicle Adoption in Indonesia: Insights from Sentiment Analysis of Major News Portals

The adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) has gained significant attention worldwide, and Indonesia is no exception. Understanding public perspectives towards EVs in Indonesia is crucial for promoting sustainable transportation solutions and aligning with the nation's energy and environmental policies. In this study, we conducted a sentiment analysis of top-ranked news portal articles related to EVs in Indonesia to gain insights into the prevailing attitudes and sentiments. The research utilized Python, NLTK, newspaper3k, and Azure Machine Learning for data collection, pre-processing, and sentiment extraction. The findings revealed that approximately 62% of the articles exhibited a positive sentiment, highlighting the generally favorable reception of EVs. Notable factors influencing positive sentiments included the government's subsidy plan, efforts to strengthen charging infrastructure, advancements in battery technology, and the nation's drive to reduce reliance on fossil fuels. The inauguration of domestic nickel sulfate production further infused optimism for the growth of the domestic electric vehicle industry. However, neutral and critical viewpoints also emerged, warranting closer examination to address concerns and misconceptions. The insights gained from this study provide a valuable resource for policymakers, researchers, and industry stakeholders to foster a thriving electric vehicle ecosystem in Indonesia and drive the nation toward a more sustainable and eco-friendly future.