Observer: National vehicle realisation requires thorough preparation

An automotive expert from the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB), Yannes Martinus Pasaribu, has stated that Indonesia requires thorough preparation with a medium to long-term vision in order to realise the national motorcycle and car development plan by 2028. “Because the 2028 deadline is very close, the preparations must be sharp and programmed with a medium to long-term vision,” Yannes said when contacted from Jakarta on Friday. He added that accelerating charging infrastructure and technical standardisation to build the market is also necessary. According to him, the most crucial support lies in mastering the entire supply chain ecosystem, especially the production of core components and high-tech components domestically, with as much industrial ownership as possible within the country. Coupled with research synergy and appropriate financing schemes, he believes the 2028 target will not only produce a product but also become the foundation for creating an economic cycle that strengthens sustainable national industrial independence. “Furthermore, there is a need for certainty of anchor market support from all levels of government, from central to regional, as well as the TNI and Polri, to absorb production until this industry is truly capable of growing strongly in facing competition in the domestic free market and is ready for export,” he concluded. Previously, President Prabowo Subianto stated he would accelerate the electrification process of public mobility during the delivery of the Government’s Introduction/Statement on the Bill concerning the 2027 Fiscal Year State Budget along with its Financial Note in Jakarta on Friday. He also announced incentives for one million electric motorcycles produced domestically by Indonesian entrepreneurs. “This policy has three simultaneous objectives: reducing vehicle costs for the people, reducing imported fuel consumption, and growing the national electric motorcycle industry along with its battery supply chain, components, software, and after-sales services. This incentive is an investment to make the Indonesian people the first market for the works of Indonesia’s children,” he said. According to him, the presence of Indonesian-made electric motorcycles on the roads represents three simultaneous victories: savings for families, reduced energy imports, and jobs for the nation’s children.