Prabowo Reaffirms Electric Vehicle Conversion Project

JAKARTA — The government’s push to reduce dependence on imported fossil fuels appears to be gaining momentum. President Prabowo Subianto has again reaffirmed the plan to convert conventional vehicles to electric ones. The project is expected to lessen Indonesia’s reliance on imported fossil fuels, thereby conserving the nation’s foreign exchange.

In his speech, Prabowo said the vehicle electrification programme would not stand alone but would be underpinned by accelerated use of renewable energy drawn from Indonesia’s natural resources, including solar power. ‘Electricity production from solar energy will be accelerated. We have announced that we will build 100 GW from solar energy within three years,’ Prabowo said.

Previously, Prabowo had announced the government’s intention to convert up to 120 million gasoline-powered motorcycles to electric motorcycles. This gigantic target reflects a bold ambition to overhaul the two-wheeler fleet across the archipelago from upstream to downstream.

The move will pose a challenge for the domestic automotive industry, given that local component supply chains and charging infrastructure still require rapid acceleration. However, the strong commitment from the nation’s leadership is expected to spur stakeholders to align technical regulations promptly.