Prabowo Pushes Indonesia Towards All-Electric Vehicles & Solar Power
JAKARTA – Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto unveiled an ambitious plan Thursday to transition the nation’s entire transportation sector to electric, solar-powered vehicles, a move he framed as essential to bolstering domestic industry and reducing the country’s reliance on imported fuel.
Speaking during a session with journalists and economists at his residence in Hambalang, West Java, Prabowo detailed a sweeping overhaul encompassing personal cars, motorcycles, public buses, commercial trucks, and even agricultural machinery like tractors. “I want everything to be electric,” he stated in a broadcast on YouTube, emphasizing the strategic imperative of ending dependence on internal combustion engines and imported fuel sources.
Indonesia has struggled with a growing dependence on fuel imports since the early 2000s, as domestic crude oil production declined while demand steadily increased. Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources data indicates that the country now meets nearly half of its daily fuel needs through imports, with consumption reaching 232,417 kiloliters per day in 2025.
The president also reaffirmed his commitment to developing a domestically produced “national car” under a homegrown brand, a project he initiated after taking office in 2024. He has tasked state-owned defense firm PT Pindad with leading the development effort. “I want to build a car factory. Why are we just a market for other countries’ cars? Because it comes down to the will [to develop our own industry],” Prabowo said.
He cited the examples of Japan and South Korea, nations that successfully built robust automotive industries despite limited natural resources, contrasting their success with Indonesia’s potential. Indonesia possesses significant reserves of bauxite, a key material used in car manufacturing, yet has not fully capitalized on this advantage to establish a strong domestic automotive brand.
Government simulations suggest substantial cost savings could be realized through accelerated adoption of electric vehicles, alongside broader economic benefits stemming from reindustrialization, Prabowo added. “The savings are extraordinary. If the strategy is right, People can revive industrialization,” he said, identifying deindustrialization as a key challenge his administration aims to address through job creation and strengthening domestic industries.
To support the electrification initiative, Prabowo announced a target of achieving up to 100 gigawatts of solar power capacity within two years. This expansion will be partly facilitated through his flagship Red and White Cooperatives (KDMP) program. He also outlined plans to convert up to 120 million motorcycles to electric power within three to four years.
These targets represent a significant increase over current capacity. Installed solar power capacity stood at 916 megawatts in 2024, with an additional 495 megawatts added by mid-2025, according to energy ministry data. The scale of the proposed expansion raises questions about the feasibility of achieving these goals within the stated timeframe.
Recent cutbacks impacting senior editorial staff at Reach, a major news organization, highlight the broader pressures facing the media landscape, though the connection to Indonesia’s energy policy remains unclear. Similarly, a leaked memo that led to the removal of two senior BBC bosses demonstrates the scrutiny placed on internal communications within public broadcasters, a dynamic separate from the Indonesian government’s plans.
Concerns about trust in news organizations, as expressed by a veteran NPR journalist, underscore the importance of transparent reporting on complex issues like energy transitions and industrial policy. The potential appointment of Bari Weiss to a top position at CBS News, and the reported staff anxieties surrounding that move, illustrate the ongoing debate about editorial direction and journalistic standards within the media industry.