Government Reviews Special Regulations to Anticipate the Surge in Electric Vehicle Battery Waste

The Government has commenced a review of the need for specific regulations on the management of Electric Vehicle (“EV”) battery waste as part of its efforts to anticipate the growth of the low-emission vehicle ecosystem. Patia Jungjungan Maningdo, Head of the Battery-Based Electric Motor Vehicle (Kendaraan Bermotor Listrik Berbasis Baterai –“KBLB”) Industry Team at the Ministry of Industry (“Kemenperin”), explained that the existing regulations currently only cover battery waste in general, such as batteries used in mobile phones and laptops. According to him, the supervision and regulation of the battery waste sector falls under the authority of the Ministry of Environment (KLH).

“There are currently no specific regulations governing EV-specific waste,” he stated.

Kemenperin considers that the formulation of specific regulations needs to be accelerated, considering that the average service life of electric vehicle batteries ranges from five to ten years. Within the next one to three years, the Government is expected to have finalized regulations capable of anticipating a surge in battery waste as early-generation electric vehicles reach the end of their operational life cycle.

In addition to regulatory aspects, the Government considers it necessary to establish a waste management system that is appropriate to the characteristics of electric vehicle batteries. Patia noted that several countries, such as China, continue to use landfill methods for lithium batteries due to the relatively lower economic value of recycling such batteries compared to nickel-based batteries. Therefore, Indonesia is considered to need to develop an independent battery management and recycling system that is aligned with the needs of the national industry and Indonesia's geographical conditions.