INVESTIGATING THE EFFECTIVITY OF PROMOTING ELECTRIC VEHICLE TO REDUCE AIR POLLUTION: AN ANALYSIS OF INDONESIA POWER PLANTS

Abstract

Purpose: Fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and natural gas, release carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases when burned for energy production. Transitioning from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources is essential for addressing climate change, ensuring energy security, protecting the environment, and fostering sustainable economic development. The combination of environmental benefits, technological advancements, and supportive policies makes electric vehicles (EV) a promising and sustainable solution for the future of transportation. In Indonesia, the use of EV is still in its earliest stage, and the popularity of EV in Indonesia is yet very low due to its price and charging problems. The government has introduced some incentives to promote EV to the people, however, the results still yet to come. This paper investigated the effectiveness of EV transition to reduce pollution based on existing power plants in Indonesia.   Methodology: We computed the proportion of renewable power plants from all power plants and used the data of CO2 emissions per kWh of various power plants to analyze the CO2 emission of conventional and EVs using the data of CO2 emissions from fossils.   Findings: We found that 86.8 percent of the electricity used in Indonesia is generated from fossil fuels. However, based on the power consumption rate per km of travel, we found that EVs emit 46 to 49 percent lower CO2 than fossil-powered vehicles for the same travel distance.   Originality/value: Despite the domination of fossil-fueled power plants, promoting EVs can help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Indonesia.