Prabowo: Electric Vehicle Ecosystem Being Built in Subang, Production by 2028
President Prabowo Subianto has said that Indonesia’s electric vehicle ecosystem is being built in the Purwakarta-Subang area of West Java, with a target of large-scale production by 2028 at the latest.
“If I am not mistaken, not far from here, on the journey to Purwakarta-Subang at kilometre 84, there is a large complex where we are building Indonesia’s electric car, which we hope will be in mass production by 2028 at the latest,” Prabowo said at the launch of the national electric motorcycle and supporting ecosystem in Bekasi on Thursday.
Prabowo assessed that the development of the electric vehicle ecosystem is part of Indonesia’s efforts to develop technology and reduce dependence on foreign energy.
According to him, Indonesia possesses abundant natural resources and must therefore be able to manage this wealth through mastery of science and technology.
“The success of a nation in the modern era is the ability of that nation to master science and technology, and to use technology to sustain the life of that nation,” he said.
Prabowo said that the development of electric vehicles must be carried out comprehensively, from motorcycles, cars and buses to electric tractors, so that the use of electricity as the primary energy source can become increasingly widespread.
He noted that Indonesia spends around 28-30 billion US dollars in foreign exchange annually on fuel oil needs, and the government is therefore seeking to reduce dependence on foreign energy.
“With electric motorcycles and cars, with electric buses, with electric tractors, and with as many of our tools as possible using electricity as the primary energy source, we will be more secure and more prosperous,” he said.
On the occasion, Prabowo also expressed appreciation for business groups that have dared to develop the national electric motorcycle industry despite facing competition from countries such as Japan, South Korea and China.
Prabowo said that using electric motorcycles can provide daily mobility cost savings of at least 50 percent compared with petrol-powered motorcycles, and can even reach 70 percent.
“Using an electric motorcycle compared with a petrol motorcycle saves at least 50 percent of your daily travel expenses. At least 50 percent, and it can even reach 70 percent in the end,” he said.
The government, Prabowo said, will also prepare a scheme to encourage the public to switch from petrol-powered vehicles to electric vehicles, including the possibility of trading in old vehicles for new ones.
In addition to electric vehicles, the government is targeting the construction of solar power plants of up to 100 gigawatts within four years and is encouraging a reduction in the use of diesel-fuelled power plants.
Prabowo also expressed appreciation for the achievement of the national electric motorcycle manufacturer, which has produced 20,000 units, and encouraged an increase in production to 200,000 units and subsequently to two million units.