Electric Vehicle Subsidies and The Challenge of Renewable Energy Policy Sustainability in Indonesia

Abstract

The increasingly apparent climate change has prompted various countries to accelerate the energy transition to renewable energy, which is a commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which is a UN agenda. Indonesia, as one of the countries that demonstrated its commitment to supporting the energy transition by providing subsidies for the purchase of electric vehicles aimed at encouraging increased use of electric vehicles by the public. However, in practice, the policy did not last long after the government withdrew the electric vehicle subsidy, impacting the running of the electric vehicle ecosystem. This certainly contradicts the narrative of the commitment to the renewable energy transition, especially since its implementation gave rise to a public communication crisis. The withdrawal of electric motorcycle subsidies will certainly impact public perception of electric vehicles as an environmentally friendly transportation solution in the future. This study aims to provide a comprehensive explanation of how public policy shapes the dynamics of electric vehicles in Indonesia and how media narratives and public responses respond to these policies. This study uses public policy theory as the main foundation to understand the direction of government policy implementation, as well as framing and agenda-setting theories to analyze how the media frames the issue of electric vehicle subsidy policy in the dissemination of policy information and the formation of public perceptions of electric vehicles and the sustainable energy agenda. Through a qualitative approach, this study will examine how the instability of government policies not only affects economic aspects but also the effectiveness of government communication and the consistency of policy messages, which can disrupt public trust in sustainable energy transformation in Indonesia.