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Transportation Minister promotes EV benefits at Electric Vehicle Funday
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(Photo courtesy of the Transportation Ministry)
T
ransportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi has highlighted the benefits of electric vehicles (EV) over internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles, noting the higher efficiency and environmentally friendly nature of EVs.
"Currently, there are many electric vehicles that look cool, [utilize] clean energy, are environmentally friendly and more efficient than vehicles powered by fossil fuel. On a daily basis, EVs can be 75 percent more efficient compared to regular motorbikes. If you usually spend Rp 100,000 [US$6.36] a day [on fuel], then Rp 25,000 is enough [to recharge EVs],” he said during the Electric Vehicle Funday event on Sunday.
Organized by the Transportation Ministry, the event was held at the Hotel Indonesia roundabout in Jakarta as part of the ministry’s effort to promote mass adoption of EVs in Indonesia.
Based on calculations made by the Directorate General of Land Transportation, one liter of fuel is equivalent to 1.2 kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity. With the price of electricity at Rp 1,444 per kWh or Rp 1,500 rounded off, 1.2 kWh of electricity costs around Rp 1,700. This means that EVs are much more efficient when compared to gas-powered vehicles, which currently range from Rp 10,000 to Rp 21,000 per liter to refuel.
For electric cars, every kWh is equal to 5 to 7 kilometers of range. With the average electric car's full capacity of 45 kWh, this means that they can have up to 300 km of range in a single charge.
Apart from being more energy efficient and cost effective, other benefits that come from EV adoption include peace of mind, as the government will continue to encourage more charging facilities to be built in the near future.
At the same time, there are numerous incentives in the pipelines currently being discussed between ministries and agencies, including: tax breaks, exemption from odd-even number policy, discounts on home electricity, free parking and a number of other benefits.
EVs are also more environmentally friendly as they do not contribute to air pollution, while also not dependent on increasingly scarce fossil fuels.
Transportation Minister Budi also emphasized the government’s strategy to promote EV usage in Indonesia, where the first stage is targeting the use of EVs in ministries and agencies as well as local governments.
The second phase of the strategy is the adoption of EVs in mass transportation, including buses, taxis and online app-based motorcycle taxis. The third stage is to increase charging facilities, such as charging stations and battery-exchange depots.
Budi also reiterated the government’s commitment to seriously develop EVs as the future of transportation via regulations and policies. Among them is the issuance of a presidential decree on the acceleration of the implementation of EVs, which has become a legal umbrella in creating an EV ecosystem in Indonesia, as well as a presidential instruction concerning the use of EVs as official vehicles for the central and regional governments to accelerate the mass adoption of EVs in Indonesia.
Regarding the instructions for the use of EVs as official government vehicles, Budi explained his strategy for implementing the use of EVs as operational vehicles for the Transportation Ministry despite existing budget constraints.
“The presidential instruction requires ministries and agencies to carry it out. What we do is lease the EVs, so there is no need to buy. Insyallah [God willing], this can be the key for other ministries and institutions," he said.
In regards to the provision of charging facilities such as charging stations and battery-exchange places, Budi proposed the relevant ministries and institutions to standardize the manufacture of batteries, so as to make it easier for the public to replace their vehicle batteries anywhere.
“Standardization of the battery should not be done alone. The brands may vary, but the shape, size and system should be the same."
As a follow up to the government’s EV program, the Transportation Ministry has issued a number of regulations and policies to accelerate mass usage of EVs in Indonesia, which include regulations related to testing the type of EVs; the use of EVs as government operational vehicles; and most recently, regulations regarding the conversion of motorcycles and other vehicles from fossil fuel to battery-based electricity.
Apart from regulations, the Transportation Ministry has also collaborated with stakeholders to organize exhibitions, EV-touring events and other outreach activities.
The Electric Vehicle Funday event, organized by the Transportation Ministry via the Directorate General of Land Transportation, was filled with various activities, namely: electric-motorbike convoys, interactive education of electric motorbikes, conversion-workshop demonstrations, mini café-style talk shows as well as street-musician performances.
The activity was also attended by Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Arifin Tasrif, Presidential Chief of Staff Moeldoko, acting Governor of DKI Jakarta Heru Budi Hartono, head of the National Police Traffic Corps Insp. Gen. Firman Santyabudi, as well as celebrity Andre Taulany.
Transportation Minister Budi alongside a number of invitees conducted an electric-motorbike convoy from the City Hall to the Hotel Indonesia roundabout via Menteng. The convoy presented more than 90 motorbikes from various brands such as Gesit, Segway, Selis, Electrum, United, Smoth and Oyika, as well as from several electric-motorcycle communities such as Kosmik, Elders and Vespa.
