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fter failing its initial emissions tests, a prototype of locally assembled car, the Esemka, has been sent to the Propulsion and Motor Thermodynamics Center (BTMP) in Serpong, Banten, for further tests.

The car, assembled by vocational high school students in Surakarta, was transported on Monday on a truck — not driven as it had been for the previous tests — to the test center where it failed in February.

“We have decided not to drive the car this time for the emissions tests in order to maintain its best condition,” Surakarta Deputy Mayor FX Hadi Rudyatmo said when seeing off the car. He drove the car himself for the first emissions test alternating with Democratic Party legislator Roy Suryo.

The first emissions tests showed that the Esemka had CO and HC+NOX emissions of 11.63 g/km and 2.69 g/km respectively, the standards permitted by the Environment Ministry are 5 g/km for CO and 0.70 g/km for HC+NOX.

The same car will be tested again; a 1,500 cc SUV. It is also the car Surakarta Mayor Joko “Jokowi” Widodo used in a widely publicized promotional event.

“Two mechanics will be sent to Serpong later to check the car before the tests,” mechanic Bambang Hari Priyambodo said.

Among things to be checked upon the car’s arrival in Serpong, according to Bambang, would be engine settings such as timing, ignition and the electronic control unit.

Before dispatch to Serpong, the car underwent emissions tests at a workshop in Sukoharjo, which according to Bambang registered 0.0 percent/volume emissions at 60 kilometers per hour. “The emissions reached 0.02 percent/volume at a speed of between 100 and 120 kilometers per hour,” he said.

He said the workshop in Sukoharjo employed different emissions standards from the BTMP, with the former using percent/volume compared to the latter’s gram/kilometer.

“But if the percent/volume measurement is converted to the g/km the figure is even lower,” Bambang said.

Jokowi expressed hope that the mission to Serpong would be successful this time, auguring well for the Esemka’s planned mass production.

“I really hope it will pass the emissions test this time,” he said.