TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Industry Ministry is set to collaborate with Gojek and Grab Indonesia in the trial run of the electric bike. The test is established following the ties between the ministry and the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) to accelerate the use of electric vehicles in the country.

The two ride-hailing app firms were chosen as they possess millions of active users and thousands of driver-partners across the archipelago, said Harjanto as the ministry’s director-general of metal, machinery, transportation, and electronics.

“Gojek and Grab will take part in the pilot project dubbed the Demonstration Project to Increase Energy Efficiency through the Utilization of Electric Vehicle and Mobile Battery Sharing,” said Harjanto in the ministry building, Central Jakarta, Wednesday, August 28.

Not only do the trials aim at introducing the electric-powered motorcycles to the public, but also boost the market growth. Therefore, the development basis of the electric fleet industry can be established, he reiterated.

The test project, he went on, will be carried out through a rental scheme of the fleet and battery to consumers and business parties directly. This trial will utilize 300 electric bikes, 1000 battery units, 40 Battery Exchanger Stations (BEx Station), and 4 electric cars (Micro EV).

Gojek Head of Public Policy Research and Advocacy, Ryan Eka Permana, stated that Gojek’s driver-partners had run the first stage of the trials since July until August 2019 in Jakarta.

EKO WAHYUDI