Within the backdrop of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, Indonesia is pushing to boost the number of electric vehicles. The country's largest cab company, Blue Bird Group, is launching the first electric taxis, as a breakthrough innovation to improve the environment.

(File Photo: CGTN)

The EV project is also part of an important commitment to support environmental conservation in Jakarta and a huge step towards Indonesia's goals to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by at least 29 percent by 2030.  

Adrianto Djokosoetono, director of Blue Bird Group, said the vehicle emissions is a major contributor to pollution in Jakarta. The innovation also aims to clear Jakarta's skies, a city that's known for its poor air quality. By 2020, Blue Bird plans to operate more than 200 of these electric cars. 

"…and the traffic that intensifies the pollution coming from the cars, so our fleet is always on the road, by replacing one car with an EV so that's deleting one car's pollution. That is, we hope to scale in a bigger industry. Now the bus is also doing a trial," he added.

Jakarta city view (Photo: VCG)

The company's new fleet includes 25 BYD cars from China and four Tesla cars from the UK. The new vehicle is expected to eliminate more than 430,000 kilograms of carbon dioxide emissions or equivalent to nearly 2 million liters of fuel consumption. Indonesia's National Electricity Company joined in the initiative by helping to build electric charging stations across Jakarta.  

"Electric vehicles are a new phenomenon, not just in Indonesia but around the world. The government is still learning about the technology for cars, batteries, the recycling of those batteries, and the smelting. Once relevant officials fully understand these areas, laws and regulations will follow," Gandrie Ramadhan, a transport analyst said. 

The government is targeting 20 percent of all cars produced in Indonesia to be electric by 2025. Experts are hoping this new technology can provide a bright future for eco-friendly vehicles in the country.