Challenges in Converting Electric Motorcycles: What Does KOSMIK Say?
JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com – The implementation of the programme to convert petrol-powered motorcycles to electric motorcycles still faces various challenges in the field, particularly from a technical perspective.
Hendro Sutono, spokesperson for KOSMIK (Indonesian Electric Bicycle/Motorcycle Community), explained that the conversion process is actually not as simple as replacing the petrol engine with an electric motor.
“From a technical standpoint, converting motorcycles is not a simple process. Petrol motorcycles are designed with internal combustion systems and component layouts that have been optimised over decades,” Hendro told Kompas.com on Wednesday (1/4/2026).
“When this system is changed to electric, various adjustments must be made to ensure the vehicle remains safe, stable, and comfortable to use,” he said.
Hendro assessed that one of the main challenges in electric motorcycle conversion is the placement of the battery, as this component is relatively large and heavy.
“This complexity makes conversion difficult to standardise on a large scale. Each vehicle unit may require different adjustments, depending on the original model and condition,” said Hendro.
“This is different from mass production of new electric motorcycles, which can be controlled consistently at the factory level,” he added.
Hendro believes that with these various obstacles, the conversion process becomes difficult to carry out quickly and on a massive scale.
It should be noted that previously, the Indonesian government has continuously encouraged the acceleration of the transition from oil-fuelled vehicles to electric vehicles, both through the purchase of new units and the conversion of old vehicles.
The President of the Republic of Indonesia, Prabowo Subianto, even targets all vehicles in the country to switch to electric power as part of the national energy transition.
“All our motorcycles will be converted to electric motorcycles,” Prabowo clarified, quoted from the Prabowo Subianto YouTube account.
“The acceleration of motor vehicle conversion, with 120 million petrol-powered motorcycles, we will try to do it gradually by converting to electric motorcycles,” said Bahlil, quoted from Kompas.com on Monday (9/3/2026).
Although the targeted goals are quite large, various technical challenges and ecosystem readiness make the implementation of this programme still require time and mature strategies to run optimally.