Gencar Promotes Electric Motorcycle Program, Government Prepares IDR 350 Billion

JAKARTA - The government continues to strive for the use of electric motorcycles, including converting electric motorcycles.

The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) has a target to convert 50 thousand units of oil-fueled motors (BBM) into electric motorcycles by 2023 and 150,000 units by 2024.

Head of the Center for Electricity Survey and Testing, New Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation (BBSP KEBTKE) Senda Hurmuzan Kanan said this year the government is targeting 50,000 units to be converted and the government has prepared a budget of IDR 350 billion.

"So this assistance is ready to be implemented and given to people who are interested in converting," he told the media, Tuesday, June 13.

He explained that previously to accelerate the program, the Government had issued Minister of Finance Regulation Number 38 of 2023 and Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Regulation Number 3 of 2023, which regulates the provision of incentives for people who want to convert motorbikes to electricity.

"So if anyone is interested in converting an electric motorcycle, it will get assistance from the Government in the amount of Rp. 7 million rupiah. According to our current estimate, the cost for converting a motorcycle is around Rp. 15-17 million rupiah, with this incentive, the public only needs to spend the remaining Rp. 8-10 million," explained Senda.

Senda said that currently the number of motorcycles in Indonesia is the third largest in the world.

It is projected that by 2025, the number of motorcycles in Indonesia will be 150 million, with details of 139 million units of fuel motorcycles, 5 million units of new electric motorcycles, and 6 million units of conversion motorcycles.

"The size of our motorbikes is so large, it consumes about 800,000 barrels of gasoline per day, while our crude oil production is only 600,000 barrels, from that consumption we have to import around 800,000 barrels, because our fuel consumption is around 1.5 million barrels per day, and most of it is consumed by motorcycles," he said.

"So, if we succeed in converting fuel motorcycles into electric motorcycles, it is hoped that later we will no longer need to import fuel, because even in terms of energy we are sufficient, we have many new and renewable energy sources (EBT)," said Senda.

Currently, continued Senda, there are 24 workshops available that are ready to serve the conversion process, one of which is BBSP KEBTKE.

Furthermore, there are 23 private workshops spread throughout Java and ready to accept the conversion program.