The Education, Culture, Research, and Technology Ministry and state-owned train manufacturer PT Industri Kereta Api Indonesia (INKA) have agreed to collaborate on building nine Red and White electric buses (BLMP) for the 2022 G20 Summit.
“The manufacturing process of the nine buses will also involve a number of universities,” head for the acceleration of BLMP development, Edi Winarno, said at the signing of a cooperation agreement for the development of the electric vehicles on Tuesday.
A number of state universities will be involved in the project—Gadjah Mada University, Sepuluh Nopember Institute of Technology (ITS), Airlangga University, and Denpasar Institute of Art, he informed.
Under the collaboration, the varsities will produce various parts of the buses, including the smart main indicator display, body, monocoque chassis, electric powertrain, and batteries, he said. In addition, they will build battery charging stations, he added.
The lecturers who participated in the vehicles’ research and development process will be accommodated through the lecturer sabbatical program in the industry sector, he informed.
Furthermore, several students will also be involved in the project under the Freedom of Learning in Campus (MBKM) program as certified interns at PT INKA for one semester, he said.
“The development and manufacturing of the nine electric buses will cost about Rp45 billion. The cost will be borne by PT INKA and the ministry,” Winarno informed.
The enterprise will finance the provision of electric bus platforms, engineers, and technicians, as well as human resources training, he said.
PT INKA will also be responsible for the certification of the electric buses that will be used at the G20 Summit as well as investment for post-G20 business development of the vehicles, he added.
Meanwhile, the ministry will develop the vehicles’ key components, manufacture, or procure the key components and arrange them, as well as tune all key components into the bus platforms, he said.
Acting director of Research, Technology, and Community Service at the ministry, Teuku Faisal Fathani, said that higher education institutions can become drivers of sustainable development by preparing creative and innovative human resources as well as innovations.
Indonesia needs electric vehicles since fossil fuels reserves are declining while air pollution and global warming are becoming worse, he said.
Source: Antara News