Application of Circular Electric Vehicles in Indonesia
Building circular electric vehicles in Indonesia is very challenging. Currently, countries in Asia are competing to develop an electric vehicles ecosystem. In Indonesia alone, the government is targeting electric motorbike users to reach 1.2 million users in 2024. In fact, according to the Minister of Maritime Affairs and Investment, the government will provide subsidies for new users of electric motorbikes. This shows the seriousness of the Indonesian government for this program. They believe that the use of electric motors can have a positive impact on air quality in Indonesia.
Circular Electric Vehicles
We know that electric motors are a promising alternative solution. However, like motorbikes in general, these vehicles require a lot of resources. Many components require a lot of material such as frame and body parts. In addition, many components are also from special materials such as engine parts and batteries. If we use the usual production method (take-make-dispose), then we will take up a lot of resources and produce a lot of waste. Therefore, there is potential for implementing circular economy in electric vehicles.
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Repair
In using electric vehicles, it is very possible for damage to the components we use. We can do maintenance and repair of electric vehicles so that their use will be much longer. Therefore, the production of electric motors must be in line and integrated with the repair system. Maybe the government can hold special training for workshop practitioners so that they are able to have the expertise to repair electric vehicles.
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Reuse
If you have an electric vehicle and it really helps you. What if the motr is also used by other people? Of course it really helps them. The principle of reuse can inspire us to make electric vehicles that can be reused so that the use value of these vehicles can last longer. In addition, this principle also emphasizes the use of electric machines in public vehicles so that they have a more significant impact than electric motorbikes which only focus on a few people.
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Refurbish/Repurpose
Various components in electric vehicles are very valuable. Not only because it has a high price, but the taste of a scarce resource. We can use damaged or obsolete vehicle components so they don’t become waste. For example, a battery from a vehicle that is worn out, we may be able to repair it and use it for a different purpose.
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Remanufacturing
If your vehicle is damaged, you can still upgrade it. This will help you to reduce waste. We can replace damaged electric vehicle components with new components so that the vehicle can return to work as before. This will give you an advantage because you don’t have to spend a lot of money to buy a new vehicle while reducing existing waste.
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Recycle
If your electric vehicle components are very damaged. You don’t have to throw it away. You can still recycle it. Valuable materials can be heated, melted, remolded, so that they become valuable new components. Recycling can reduce waste significantly and reduce the use of virgin materials. This is indeed not easy, because cooperation and collaboration are important to be able to build a good and massive electric vehicle recycling system.
Conclusion
Indonesia has a large population that uses vehicles for activities. The target is for Indonesia to have 1.2 million electric vehicles. This is good news as well as a challenge for Indonesia. Because Indonesia is one of the countries that is still developing and is still very early to accept this technology. There are still many things that we have to challenge and potential that we need to explore so that the development of electric vehicles in Indonesia really has the positive impact that we really hope for.