The Boss Of PLN Develops A More Massive Electric Car, Coordinating Minister Airlangga: Any Car That Is Important Ends Up Being Environmentally Friendly

Coordinating Minister for the Economy Airlangga Hartarto (Photo: screenshot of the Kompas webinar)

JAKARTA - Coordinating Minister for the Economy Airlangga Hartarto responded to the proposal of the President Director of the State Electricity Company (PLN) Zulkifli Zaini to further increase efforts to produce electric vehicles.

Airlangga said, it is true that the government has considerable attention to environmental issues, including those related to the automotive sector.

However, he considered it necessary to think about the entire ecosystem in the sector so as not to cause a shock in the future. Moreover, the essence of using electric cars is to achieve low emissions in accordance with the desired target.

"Yesterday, the President said while reviewing GIIAS, (any car) the most important thing in the end is that it is environmentally friendly or low emissions," he said when he was a resource person for the Compass CEO Forum 2021 which was broadcast virtually, Thursday, November 18.

According to Airlangga, the government's real effort to reduce carbon emissions in the automotive sector is through the use of green materials in certain types of fuel.

"Indonesia has reduced (carbon emissions) from diesel by using B30," he said.

Previously in the same forum, PLN President Director Zulkifli Zaini encouraged the government to immediately realize the use of electric vehicles more massively. Zulkifli conveyed this wish with the assumption that national electricity production is already quite well established.

“I can say that this year's electricity production is very sufficient. For next year there is even a potential surplus,” he said.

Meanwhile, another thing that the PLN boss said was asking the government to provide more fiscal incentives for electric vehicles so that the selling price in the market can be more affordable for the community.

Just so you know, data from the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources states that fossil energy is still the main supporter of electricity generation in Indonesia with a percentage of 85.3 percent. Of this figure, steam power plants (PLTU). became the most burning coal with a contribution of 49.6 percent nationally.