EV Industry Needs Integrated Direction, Not Fragmented Policies

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com – The development of the electric vehicle (EV) industry is considered to have great potential to drive national economic growth by up to 8 per cent. However, this opportunity is at risk of not being optimal if government policies are not implemented consistently. Stakeholder member of the National Energy Council (DEN), Sripeni Inten Cahyani, emphasised that the direction for EV development cannot be done partially. She assessed that more structured steps are needed so that policies do not proceed independently. “This is not child’s play; in fact, we want to make a recommendation for the establishment of a special body to handle electric vehicles. Why? We can’t do it if it’s only sporadic (without direction),” said Sripeni to Kompas.com on Tuesday (14/4/2026). In the field, this sporadic condition is reflected, among others, in policies that are not fully integrated, such as EV incentives that are not always accompanied by even readiness of charging infrastructure. According to her, the government actually already has various regulations and roadmaps related to electric vehicles. However, the main challenge currently lies in the inconsistent implementation in the field. “Everything is already regulated; we just need to be consistent. Now the problem is the consistency of policy implementation,” she stated. She exemplified that EV development can drive various economic components, from government spending, consumption, investment, to exports. This is considered in line with the national economic growth target set by the government. “Because this must be linked to the President’s programme, 8 per cent economic growth. So there must be the G element, namely incentives; it must still be there,” said Sripeni. Currently, the government has issued various policies to encourage the EV ecosystem, from purchase incentives to support for the battery industry investment. However, its effectiveness is still considered dependent on the consistency of implementation in the field. Sripeni emphasised that the government’s role remains crucial, especially in the early stages of market formation. Incentives are needed to encourage adoption until the EV ecosystem is fully formed.