JHL Group Founder Proposes Hybrid Cars To Get Special Rights Such As Electric Cars

Local production of BAIC cars. (Photo: Afrizal / VOI)

JAKARTA The founder of JHL Group, Jerry Hermawan Lo, proposed that hybrid cars receive special treatment that is equivalent to pure electric cars. He made this proposal at the launch of the local production of BAIC BJ40 Plus in Purwakarta, West Java, recently.

Through his company PT JHL International Automotive (JIO), the BAIC brand holder agency in Indonesia, Jerry hopes that the government will provide incentives such as blue framed number plates and exemption from odd-even rules for hybrid cars. According to him, this step can encourage people to switch to more environmentally friendly vehicles without having to rely entirely on electricity.

"This is a slight suggestion, if possible hybrid cars will be eliminated odd-even and given blue plates such as electric cars. So that there is competitiveness and public interest is also higher," he said.

Jerry also highlighted that a full electric car is not necessarily an ideal solution in all conditions, especially for heavy terrain or mountainous areas such as the BJ40 operational site. He considered, in an emergency situation when the vehicle ran out of power, the presence of an combustion engine in a hybrid car could be a rescue.

"Electric cars are good, but if everything has to be full of electricity, especially in mountainous areas, it can be a hassle if suddenly running out of power. So I hope that in big cities, hybrid cars can be released from odd-even," he explained.

As part of BAIC's electrification strategy in Indonesia, JIO is also preparing to present a hybrid model to the national market. One of them is BAIC BJ30 Hybrid, which is planned to be assembled locally at the Handal Purwakarta facility and launched this year.

Jerry confirmed that the launch of the BJ40 Plus was just the first step.

This historic moment will not stop at BJ40 Plus alone. In the coming years, there will be models such as BJ30 hybrid, BJ40, and BJ41 "Hopefully everything can be produced in Purwakarta soon," he concluded.