TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - State-owned electricity company PLN of Jakarta or PT PLN Disjaya planned to construct a high-technology electric vehicle charging station (SPLU) in the capital city in a bid to cater electric buses that are currently under operational test.

The fast and superfast SPLU will serve the need of a number of electric-powered public transportation, including Transjakarta bus.

“We have communicated it with PT Transjakarta. We are now waiting for their report on the need,” said PLN Disjaya Communication Manager, Dita Artsana, to Tempo on Thursday, May 9.

The city administration and PT Transjakarta determined to conduct a trial test of medium electric fleets from Chinese BYD Company Ltd and single electric fleets made by PT Mobil Anak Bangsa (MAB). The test is scheduled to run in July.

Within six months, they claimed to operate ten units of the electric bus for National Monument or Monas-Bundaran Senayan and Ragunan-Dukuh Atas 2 route.

The operation of the electric-powered bus still awaited its infrastructure, besides the permit and regulation, including the SPLU in the bus depot and the operational route. According to Dita, PLN Jakarta would establish an electrical connection to the charging machine in accordance with the need. The machine will add the number of 1,918 regular SPLU across the capital city.

Meanwhile, the fast and superfast SPLU will be set in several public locations. “The charging time in regular SPLU takes 4-6 hours. As for the fast SPLU, it takes 2 hours, while superfast SPLU only takes 15-45 minutes,” she explained.

Dita stopped short to detail of future locations of the high-tech charging station for electric bus, saying her company would follow the Transportation Ministry in light of the ten construction of the high power SPLU this year. “The construction and inauguration will start in the second semester,” she added.

FRANSISCO ROSARIANS