The journey of Indonesia\u2019s petrol-to-electric motorcycle conversion\nprogramme can be described as fraught with challenges. Since its launch,\nthe government has been observed continuously revising regulations to\nboost the population of environmentally friendly vehicles, which remains\nfar from the target.<\/p>\n
For instance, from March 2023, the government provided a Rp 7 million\nsubsidy through Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources Regulation\nNumber 3 of 2023. Due to low interest, in December 2023, the subsidy\nvalue was raised to Rp 10 million per unit.<\/p>\n
Interest in converting petrol motorcycles to electric ones remained\nlow, leading to the emergence of various free conversion programmes.<\/p>\n
Bambang Setiawan Yudistira, or Ibeng as he is popularly known, an\nelectric motorcycle advocate from EV Holic, offers an honest\nperspective. According to him, this failure is not due to the subsidy\namount being insufficient, but rather because owners must bear other\nlosses.<\/p>\n
For Indonesians, motorcycles are assets that must have stable resale\nvalue. Ibeng emphasises that conversion actually destroys that\ninvestment value.<\/p>\n
In other words, even if the conversion cost is free, owners feel they\nlose asset value of Rp 7-8 million in an instant.<\/p>\n
The second obstacle is performance expectations. Ibeng recounts his\nexperience converting his Vario 110 and 125 models. Due to regulatory\nand technical limitations, the motorcycles, which were previously\nresponsive, now feel sluggish.<\/p>\n
Based on regulatory standards, a 110 cc scooter can only be fitted\nwith a 1,000 Watt dynamo. Meanwhile, the 125 cc uses a 1,500 Watt\ndynamo.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is a clear drop in performance that is noticeable. Not to\nmention the range. Because the frame of a standard automatic motorcycle\nis not designed for large batteries, the largest battery that can fit is\nonly strong enough for 50 km. For daily use, that is not reliable,\u201d he\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Administratively, conversion is also not straightforward. Although\nthere are many skilled local mechanics, certified workshops officially\nauthorised to change the STNK and BPKB (blue plate) are still very\nfew.<\/p>\n
\u201cInformation is often hard to obtain. Many workshops that were once\nenthusiastic about joining the programme now no longer serve it because\nthe type testing process is complicated. If there are no standards that\nfacilitate it, people will continue to feel that conversion is\ntroublesome,\u201d Ibeng continued.<\/p>\n
Ultimately, Ibeng assesses that the conversion programme is more\nsuitable to be implemented mandatorily for institutional or government\nservice vehicles rather than for the general public.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor the public, it would be better to redirect subsidies to a\ntrade-in programme. Old motorcycles are taken back, and they receive new\nelectric units with proper ergonomics and measurable performance. That\nwould be a win-win solution,\u201d said Ibeng.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/subsidies-from-rp-7-million-to-free-why-is-electric-motorcycle-conversion-lacking-interest-1775814666", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }