The development of electric vehicles is part of a grand design for a renewable energy transition that may offer Indonesia a solution to curb fuel oil imports and save state funds said President Joko Widodo.
He made the remarks while inaugurating the first ultra-fast charging station in Badung, Bali by state-owned electricity company PT Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN).
The electric vehicle charging station is expected to support operational vehicles for G20 delegates when Bali hosts the G20 Summit later this year.
The head of state noted that the country’s dependence on fuel oils and fossil energy has increasingly become higher, while much of its domestic fuel oil needs are still imported which further adds burden to the state budget, current account deficit, and trade deficit.
Indonesia must not let the dependence on fossil energy continue, so the country must find ways to create energy self-reliance, he added. The use of electric vehicles during the G20 Summit is one of the ways to prove Indonesia’s commitment to conduct energy transition, he added.
“Right from the upstream industry, which produces batteries and other components to the downstream industry, which provides electric vehicle charging and home charging stations, we want to show the world that the electric vehicle ecosystem in Indonesia is growing and developing rapidly,” said the Minister.
Indonesia is on a path to a clean energy transition and has set a target for 2060 to be a net-zero emissions nation.
“We stress that the electric vehicle ecosystem is not merely business-oriented but above all, the conversion will curb carbon emissions. This means that it offers an expectation of cleaner living space for our children and grandchildren,” he said.
To support the electric vehicle ecosystem, PLN is building additional electric vehicle charging stations in the country. By February 2022, the country had 267 electric vehicle charging stations in 195 different areas.
