Bakrie & Brothers Have Sold 52 Units of Electric Bus Since 2020

VIVA – President Director of Bakrie & Brothers (BNBR), also President Commissioner of VKTR Teknologi Mobilitas, Anindya Novyan Bakrie shared several challenges since BNBR decided to come into the electric vehicle (EV) business, especially in the electric bus segment. 

After struggling to develop the EV business since 2018, Bakrie claimed to have succeeded in selling 52 units of electric buses from 2020 to 2022.

"After struggling, throughout 2020-2021 we managed to sell 30 electric buses. Then, in 2022, we sold 20 more electric buses. So a total of 52 electric buses (sold)," Anindya Bakrie said at the 'VKTR Media Gathering' event, Kuningan, South Jakarta, on Monday. 

He also told the beginning of Bakrie & Brothers introducing the electric buses resulting from the collaboration between VKTR and BYD to the international and local public. At the IMF-World Bank Annual Meeting in Bali at the end of 2018, the electric bus made by VKTR was shown to the public for the first time.

"At the end of 2018, there was an IMF-World Bank Annual Meeting in Bali, so we brought the electric bus to Bali. At least, we showed that we were the first," Bakrie told. 

But when he returned from Bali, a new challenge began because it turned out that the electric bus could not be made Vehicle Registration Certificate (STNK). That is because electric buses do not have cylinders so there is no CC, and they do not produce sound so there is no decibel unit, he added. 

"So, we were hopeless because at that time we couldn't launch in Jakarta in 2019."

With various efforts to lobby several parties, Bakrie ensured that it finally gave good results. Until there was Presidential Regulation Number 55 of 2019 concerning the Acceleration of the Battery Electric Vehicle Program for Road Transportation, which was signed by President Joko Widodo on August 8, 2019.

"So now there are many pros and cons about Electric Vehicles and their incentives, none of this would have happened without Presidential Regulation Number 55/2019. Where we fight so that electric vehicles can have Vehicle Registration Certificate," said Anindya.

Not only that, but Anindya Bakrie also acknowledged the challenges of VKTR marketing electric buses in the country still having to handle the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020. 

Especially in the COVID-19 era, the budget of local governments was cut, and the rest was focused on helping to deal with COVID-19. 

"Therefore, we think that what becomes a convenience in this situation is the Langit Biru Program. We believe that with this program, people need electric vehicles and this can be a solution to help decarbonization problems, congestion, noise pollution, and so on," he said.