UI RECEIVED AN ELECTRIC BUS GRANT FROM THE MINISTRY OF INVESTMENT/BKPM, UI RESEARCHERS WILL BE INVOLVED IN THE MANUFACTURING PROCESS
“We thank Pak Bahlil for providing this electric bus to UI as a healthy and green campus. It is an honor for us to be chosen as the campus that received this grant. Hopefully, this bus can be useful for the activities of UI academics on campus and become a symbol for our research on the energy transition and also climate change,” said Rector of Universitas Indonesia (UI) Prof. Ari Kuncoro S.E., M.A., Ph.D., delivering a speech at the presentation ceremony of the electric bus grant from the Minister of Investment of the Republic of Indonesia/Head of the Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) Bahlil Lahadalia. The presentation of the electric bus grant from the Ministry of Investment/BKPM was carried out Friday afternoon (17 March 2023) at the Rotunda Field, UI Campus, Depok.
This electric bus grant is intended to support government programs in developing battery-based electric vehicles as one of the environmental preservation efforts in the campus area. The presentation ceremony was attended by executives from UI, including the Chairman of the Board of Trustees (MWA) UI Dr. (H.C.) Noni Purnomo B.Eng., M.B.A.; Vice Chancellor for Finance and Logistics UI Vita Silvira, S.E., MBA .; Chairman of MWA UI (2019-2023) Saleh Husin, S.E., M.Sc.; Dean of the Faculty of Administrative Sciences UI Prof. Chandra Wijaya; Dean of the Faculty of Economics and Business UI Teguh Dartanto, Ph.D.; Director of Operations and Maintenance of Facilities UI Dr. Dwi Marta Nurjaya, S.T., M.T.; Director of Cooperation UI Dr. Toto Pranoto; Head of Public Relations and Public Information Disclosure Bureau Dra. Amelita Lusia, M.Si., CPR; as well as the Head of Sub-Directorate for Academic Cooperation UI Dr. Eko Saka Purnama.
Representatives from the Ministry of Investment/BKPM were also present, namely the Secretary to the Ministry of Investment/Main Secretary of BKPM, Ikmal Lukman; Deputy for Investment Promotion, Nurul Ichwan; Deputy for Investment Planning, Indra Darmawan; Expert Group for Minister of Investment, Rini Modouw; Special Staff for Development of National Entrepreneurs, M. Pradana Indraputra; as well as the Head of the General Bureau, Dedi Latip. In addition, other partners present on the occasion supporting the creation of the electric bus were Vice President Director and Group CEO of Indika Energy, Azis Armand and Director of Operations of PT Energi Makmur Buana, Ery Priwan.
According to the UI Rector, there are two things that can be achieved by using buses, which are the energy transition and public transportation that saves road space. In addition, the use of electric buses also reduces the burden on the government in fulfilling fuel subsidies.
Meanwhile, Minister Bahlil said that currently Indonesia is building an electric car ecosystem that is integrated with batteries. Indonesia is the only country that is building an integrated car battery ecosystem from upstream to downstream. The collaboration between Indika and Foxconn gave birth to electric buses, one of which was given to UI.
“Currently, there are only 5 buses like this. I think UI is one of the best campuses in Indonesia that is concerned about a green campus, so we present this electric bus to UI since we are now prioritizing eco-friendly vehicles. We will involve the team from UI to be in the manufacturing process with Foxconn and Indika, so UI academics are not only good at theory but also good at the real application of it,” said Minister Bahlil.
The electric bus that was handed over is a type of city bus that is used as a mode of mass transportation for passenger pick-up activities within the city. This bus has a battery capacity of 300 kWh with a range of 300 kilometers. The low deck design of the bus makes it easier for passengers with disabilities to get on or get off the bus.
This 12 x 2.5-meter bus has a U configuration, with a capacity of 49 people with details of 27 seated passengers and 22 standing passengers. Four seats are reserved for priority passengers. This bus is also equipped with tinted glass and the body material is designed to absorb heat. The charging process only takes 2.5–3 hours with up to 32 hours of usage time when all components, such as air conditioners, lights, and other equipment are on.
Another innovation of this bus is that the batteries used are divided into 10 packs and placed in separate areas, so as not to disturb passengers. This bus also no longer uses mirrors, but is equipped with sensors and cameras, especially 360 cameras, so that the driver can see the area around the bus so that the risk of an accident can be minimized.
Vice President Director and Group CEO of Indika Energy Azis Armand said that this electric bus is a solution to preserve the environment. “We are all very happy to be able to participate in efforts to find solutions to climate change. Hopefully, this can be the start of other ecosystem developments, and UI as a research institution can actively participate in creating innovations together,” said Azis.
Noni Purnomo considered that the delivery of this electric bus is very useful because UI wants to be recognized as a green university. This is also one of the requirements to add points in the QS Ranking. Noni said, “We, on behalf of MWA UI, are very grateful for the grant given from the Ministry of Investment/BKPM. Hopefully, this electric bus can become a symbol and also become a new beginning so that we are all encouraged to focus even more on increasing environmental awareness.”
The maintenance of this electric bus will be carried out within five years. In addition to maintenance and operation, all related parties will learn together how to maintain, operate, and repair if there is damage. “We will jointly conduct research related to the performance of bus vehicles. This is one of the best electric buses. And this is built up, so if we learn the materials, construction, as well as safety standards and completeness, it is more than the others,” said Ery Priwan, Director of Operations of PT Energi Makmur Buana, who handles electric bus maintenance.
Author: Sasa
