Aismoli Urges Government to Create EV Battery Safety Test Regulations

KatadataOTO – The use of electric motorcycles is becoming more massive in Indonesia. Manufacturers are also offering a variety of Electric Vehicles (EVs) to consumers.

However, it is said that many electric two-wheeler manufacturers are still reluctant to conduct battery safety testing in specialized laboratories.

This step is actually very necessary. Considering that the safety of the power storage is a crucial matter.

Especially now that many parties have started to produce batteries independently. Both from manufacturers and individuals.

Photo : Alva

“Many smart Indonesians can make their own (batteries). But making them in the sense that they can function, while the safety aspect might be less considered,” said Budi Setiyadi, Chairman of the Indonesian Electric Motorcycle Association (Aismoli), to KatadataOTO recently.

Furthermore, Budi admitted that they are always asked to improve the quality and safety of electric motorcycle batteries.

Then, not too many technologies should be used. This means there must be standardization regarding the power storage.

Therefore, Aismoli wants the government to collaborate with the National Standardization Agency (BSN) to improve battery safety.

“We are pushing for the government to perhaps start regulating a requirement for batteries to be standardized and tested for safety issues,” Budi continued.

Budi also hopes that with the government willing to create regulations for testing power storage, the products offered to consumers will be safer.

“If (the batteries are) factory-made, they might be better. It's the MSMEs that perhaps pay less attention to the safety aspect,” Budi emphasized.

For your information, it was previously reported that many electric motorcycle manufacturers are unwilling to conduct comprehensive testing in specialized laboratories.

“I cannot mention the product (name). But frankly, the APM (Brand Holder Agents) selling motorcycles mostly say, it's not mandatory (to test EV battery safety),” said Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Evvy Kartini, Founder of the National Battery Research Institute in Jakarta some time ago.

She continued that in the past, one of the reasons was the lack of an available battery testing laboratory.

Photo : Cycle World

She mentioned that as time went on, the said laboratory was finally built to accommodate the need for testing batteries specifically for electric motorcycles.

“But when we endorse them to test, their reasons are that it's expensive and so on. When we talk about lives, nothing is expensive,” concluded Prof. Evvy.

She also highlighted that electric motorcycles with batteries from China cannot deliver the performance they should.