Minister for Energy and Energy Resources, Ignasius Jonan, launched electric trishaw (becak) produced by Engineering students and lecturers of UGM at Balairung UGM on Friday (18/1).
Minister Jonan appreciates UGM for developing the electric trishaw because this innovation can make the driver more humane as well as reducing pollution.
"I am thankful for PLN and UGM Engineering Faculty that have initiated the birth of the electric trishaw. This is more humane as the driver doesn’t have to paddle it while pollution can be reduced,” he said.
Minister Jonan said he supported this development and hoped that UGM in the future can collaborate with industry to make a mass production.
"It’s also the hopes of Governor in Yogyakarta to issue regulations on the use of electric trishaw for tourism,” he added.
In the event the Minister tried to drive the trishaw which was ridden by Rector of UGM, Prof. Panut Mulyono.
Panut Mulyono expected the electric trishaw would improve the productivity of the driver. “The productivity will get bigger because the manual work is replaced by electricity and it can cover up to a 30 Kilometer distance," he said. He asserted the electric trishaw is more environmentally friendly than motorised trishaw.
Meanwhile, Engineering Dean, Prof.Nizam, said through Innovation Center for Automotive (ICA) they modified the trishaw by converting it into electric ones. Components were added consisting of electric motor of 1,500 Watts 48V and VRLA 48V batteries with capacity of 12Ah. This can power the vehicle to roam a distance of 30 km for each charging.
"The distance can be extended by changing the batteries to 24Ah which can cover 50-60 km,” he added.
Currently, as many as 15 trishaw prototypes have been developed by the Faculty and have been distributed to trishaw drivers at Bulaksumur UGM vicinity.
In the mean time, Minister Jonan gave a guest lecture in Senate Hall UGM on the theme of Role of Higher Education in New and Renewable Energy. An agreement on cooperation was also signed between UGM and the Ministry on research and development of new and renewable energy and energy conversion. The signing was done by the Rector and Head of Research and Development of the Ministry.