Danantara pushes charging station development to accelerate EV adoption

The Investment Management Agency (BPI) Daya Anagata Nusantara (Danantara) is pushing for the development of electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure to accelerate the adoption of environmentally friendly vehicles in the country.

Danantara Managing Director for Industrialisation Ardy Muawin, speaking during a discussion titled Navigating the Challenges of the Motor Vehicle Industry in Jakarta on Thursday, said the government could act as a catalyst to create demand, particularly in the two-wheeler segment which holds significant potential.

He said there had previously been public concerns about the quality of electric vehicles, such as climbing ability and battery endurance. However, these challenges are now being addressed by the manufacturing industry.

“One of the things we found is that, okay, there used to be quality issues — couldn’t be ridden, couldn’t climb hills, weak battery — but these are actually being resolved one by one by the manufacturers,” he explained.

Ardy cited Pertamina as an example, which now has a battery swap network supporting electric two-wheelers, while PLN operates a network of Public Electric Vehicle Charging Stations (SPKLU).

According to him, the experience of several global companies shows that infrastructure provision must go hand in hand with rising demand.

“If we learn from Tesla, Tesla also built charging stations. Vinfast also built charging stations,” Ardy said.