PLN guarantees electric vehicle users will easily find chargers

General Manager of the PLN Main Unit Distribution of Greater Jakarta Doddy B. Pangaribuan during an inspection of the infrastructure for the Public Electric Vehicle Charging Station (SPKLU) located at the KM 6 Rest Area of the Jakarta-Cikampek toll road, Thursday (28/4/2022). ANTARA/HO-PLN UID Jakarta Raya

Electric vehicle users do not need to worry if they want to go back to their hometown

Jakarta (ANTARA) - State-owned electricity company PLN has made assurance that electric vehicle users would have no trouble in finding a charger during their homecoming holidays.

General Manager of PLN's Greater Jakarta Main Distribution Unit (UID) Doddy B. Pangaribuan remarked that until now, PLN had continued to increase the number of Public Electric Vehicle Charging Stations (SPKLU).

"Electric vehicle users do not need to worry if they want to go back to their hometown. It has been proven several times that PLN has test drives. It has been able to go to Lampung and even Jambi, Pekanbaru. There are many SPKLUs available," Pangaribuan stated in Jakarta, Thursday.

Pangaribuan remarked that SPKLUs in Jakarta are spread across 30 locations to charge electric vehicles with connectors, or nozzles, totaling 42. In Indonesia alone, the figure has reached almost 600 points.

SPKLUs are not only available in offices but also rest areas, such as at KM 10.6 of the Jagorawi Toll Road, East Jakarta, which provides one charger location.

PLN UID Jakarta Raya is also working in collaboration with public transportation providers in Jakarta, such as PT TransJakarta and Perum Damri, for the installation of 11 electric vehicle charging stations, specifically for electric bus fleets, as a means of public transportation.

PLN also opens opportunities for partnership cooperation in the provision of SPKLU with the Investor Owned Investor Operate (IO2) scheme.

Pangaribuan noted that the cooperation system is profit sharing. This opportunity is open to anyone interested in establishing an SPKLU in Jakarta.

"And this is already implemented, so anyone who is interested can contact us (PLN)," Pangaribuan remarked.

To check where the SPKLU is located and to use it for charging electric vehicles, a charger location application is available on the Playstore.

In addition, in Jakarta, PLN is testing five SPKLU Mobile motorcycle units. Hence, if an electric vehicle runs out of power in the middle of the road, then the user can call a motorbike that has been facilitated by a charging device during an emergency.

"We are still testing this. Hence, the mechanism is for officers to plug the device into the nearest electricity grid, so that electric vehicles can be charged, and electric vehicle users can return home safely," Pangaribuan stated.

This effort is a form of PLN's support in accelerating the use of battery-based EVs in accordance with Presidential Regulation (Perpres) Number 55 of 2019.