Some 63 percent of electric fuel still comes from coal which makes electric vehicles (EVs) not fully eco-friendly, Head of Transportation Study Institute Darmaningtyas told ANTARA here on Sunday.
As a result, the electric vehicle utilization will only delay pollution considering that coal also produces waste, he added.
In addition, the current price for electric vehicles is still relatively high for the general public, he highlighted.
"If it is economically beneficial, then the people will transition to EVs by themselves," he explained.
"However, since they have not transitioned yet, this means it is not yet interesting or beneficial, both for EV producers and consumers," he remarked.
Despite this, the institute still fully supports electric vehicle ecosystem in Indonesia, especially if the electric fuel comes from renewable energy, such as from microhydro power plant.
Meanwhile, the National Transportation Safety Committee (KNKT) also outlined several challenges in electric vehicles, such as preparing adequate human resources in electric-based automotive.
Capable human resources are necessary to prevent accidents and to find potential dangers in the future, Head of KNKT Soerjanto Tjahjono noted.
The people should always be ready for changes, whether in terms of regulation, technology, and system which continue to develop or the existence of new cases that affect aspects such as safety, reliability, economy.
He highlighted a number of potential dangers that should be watched out for such as high DC voltage (600 volt) area and opening or cracking caused by factors including fretting, sharp radius, and aging.
People also need to be wary of short circuit as a result of vehicle vibration or clash. Tropical weather that tends to be humid, hot, and dusty can also disrupt the electronic functions.
Battery-based electric vehicle for road transportation should also be ensured to fulfill safety, security, and health aspects, Tjahjono stressed.
"Only trained personnel are recommended to handle the condition," he remarked.
"Emergency response team should always be on standby while electric vehicles are operating so that evaluation can always be undertaken, specifically concerning dangers, difficulties, as well as existing SOP mitigation and improvement," he said.
To fulfill clean energy for electric vehicles, the total energy and carbon from when the coal is mined until the electricity is produced should be counted to serve as evaluation material, he added.
"All of this should be calculated and recorded. We report Indonesia's carbon status after using EVs. This is also an important part of EV implementation," he said.
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Translator: Adimas R F P, Fadhli Ruhman
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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