Grab Indonesia introduced its pilot electric vehicle (EV) fleet today in Jakarta. The firm partnered with automakers Hyundai, Astra Honda Motor, and Gesits to launch 20 four-wheel EV pilots and ten two-wheeled EV fleets.
These vehicles will be introduced on Jakarta roads in January 2020, said Grab Indonesia president Ridzki Kramadibrata at the media event. Grab targets to have at least 500 electric vehicles in Indonesia by the end of next year.
Grab uses the Hyundai Ioniq Electric car that is specifically designed for the Indonesian market with a 38 kWh capacity battery. It is able to travel 380 kilometres before it needs to be recharged. Grab Singapore also uses the same type but with a smaller capacity, according to Kramadibrata.
Grab is the first to launch and deploy the 2020 Ioniq EVs in Southeast Asia. Initially, the fleet will be imported directly from South Korea and then mass-produced in Indonesia in the near future. This pilot project also aims to discover the kind of battery capacity needed in Indonesia, in order to open up opportunities for other automakers to join and support the EV industry development in Indonesia.
Meanwhile for two-wheeled vehicles, Grab is collaborating with Astra Honda Motor and local electric motorcycle maker Gesits. These pilots will test the viability of using EV bikes across Grab’s ride-hailing, food, and parcels delivery in the greater Jakarta area.
The launch shows Grab’s seriousness in helping the government develop its EV ecosystem roadmap, accelerate the adoption of EVs in Indonesia, and create a more environmentally friendly transportation network.
“This [launch] supports the government’s initiative to reduce the air pollution issue in Indonesia, especially in Jakarta. We hope that Grab can inspire other transportation providers to also boost the EV ecosystem, and I hope it will strengthen Indonesia’s energy security in addition to having cleaner air, and to make Indonesia part of the EV global supply chain,” Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, coordinating minister of maritime and investment affairs, told local media at the event.
In October, Grab formed an agreement with state-owned electricity provider Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN) to co-build a network of electronic charging stations for EVs.
EV development is one of Grab’s main focuses this year after the firm received an investment commitment of USD 2 billion from Softbank in July. The firm is committed to supporting the Indonesian government’s goal to have two million EVs by 2025.