Luhut to Curb Gasoline-Fueled Vehicle Purchases to Boost Electric Vehicle Population

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Coordinating Minister of Maritime Affairs and Investments Luhut Pandjaitan stated that he would apply firm restrictions on the purchase of internal combustion engined (ICE) vehicles in an attempt to accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles or EVs. 

He also insisted that it would coincide with the government’s aim to improve the air quality of the capital city of Jakarta. 

“We will also gradually start to make it difficult, in quote, internal combustion cars, which will make Jakarta’s air quality better. And maybe reach the air quality level of our neighboring countries,” said the coordinating minister in the launch of the Battery Assets Management Services Indonesia Battery Corporation (IBC) at his office on June 12. 

Moreover, he insisted that such restrictive policies will help boost the sales of electric vehicles and help achieve Indonesia’s goal of growing the EV population by 10 percent in by 2030. 

He admitted that the production of EVs cannot be pushed further than the current speed as he claims data from PLN President Director Darmawan Prasodjo suggests there is still a one-year waiting time from purchase to customer delivery experienced by an electric car brand in Indonesia. 

Luhut then reminded the state-owned electricity firm PLN and the Indonesia Battery Corporation (IBC) about the project that supplies charging stations and electric motorcycle battery swap stations. He insisted that this is crucial to overcome customers’ anxiety about an electric vehicle’s battery range. 

ERWAN HERMAWAN

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