Vespa love affair: Indonesians turn vintage scooters electric
Heret Frasthio, CEO of Elders, posing on a Vespa that has been converted to an electric scooter at the Elders workshop in Jakarta. — Photo: BAY ISMOYO/ AFP
When Indonesian executive Heret Frasthio takes his antique 1957 VL Vespa for a ride, its white paint peeling off, the usual fumes and hum of the free-spirited scooters cannot be seen or heard.
The two-wheeler is just one of the vintage models converted by his company as it tries to turn a love for the Italian icon into an environmentally friendly pursuit.
Indonesia has long suffered from air pollution partly driven by its addiction to inefficient, old cars and scooters, including nearly one million Vespas as of 2022, according to the country's Vespa Club.
"Vespa has a unique design. It has a historical and nostalgic value. It's not just a vehicle, it's also fashion," said Frasthio, chief executive of Elders, which converts the older bikes into electric vehicles.
The country's leaders are pushing for more EVs on its roads, with a target of 13 million electric motorcycles by 2030 – ambitiously far from the current number of 160,000, according to transport ministry data.
But Elders is playing its part in what the government hopes will be the early stages of an electric vehicle revolution.
Frasthio says the firm has converted and sold around 1,000 Vespas across the country since its founding in 2021 and one day aims to develop its own electric scooter.
Once converted, a Vespa's fully charged electric battery can last 60-120 kilometres, and up to 200 kilometres for an upgraded battery.
"This electric Vespa can be a solution for countries that require low emissions from motorcycles," Frasthio said.
Clean contribution
Yet pricing remains a major stumbling block in Southeast Asia's biggest economy.
Frasthio's proud but humble Vespa cost US$34,000 to buy before conversion.
A brand-new Vespa Elettrica imported from Italy can cost 198 million rupiah (US$11,750) and the European company already sells a range of electric scooters in the continent.
But for those who want to stay retro, there are kits to convert to vintage scooters to electric that cost between US$1,500 and US$3,900, Frasthio said.
The chance to switch is attracting customers who want a fashionable ride without contributing to noise and air pollution.
One of them is Hendra Iswahyudi, who bought a converted Vespa from Frasthio's firm, remembering the effort of riding an old model as a student.
"You would turn on the ignition and take a shower while waiting for the engine to be ready," the 56-year-old said.
Riding an antique Vespa from the 1960s without the pollution and the noise in Jakarta's heavy traffic has also earned him curious looks.
"People who like Vespa came to have a closer look and told me that my scooter was very cool," he said.
The civil servant supports the niche industry for converting scooters, despite government plans to put a new fleet of electric vehicles on the road.
"I feel comfortable riding the Vespa. I feel like I've contributed to the clean air," he said.
Nostalgia
But a yearning for the nostalgia of an original Vespa is keeping some from taking the cleaner option, instead choosing to keep the roar of an older engine.
"I prefer the authentic Vespa with its original noise because it's what makes it unique. You can hear it coming from afar," said Muhammad Husni Budiman, an antique Vespa lover.
"It's classic and nostalgic."
The 39-year-old entrepreneur fell in love with antique Vespas when he was young and started to collect some from the 1960s and 70s.
In 2021, he established a Jakarta-based club for Vespas produced in the 1960s that now boasts hundreds of members.
Despite trying an electric Vespa, Budiman's club is mainly for those who love original models.
Frasthio is conscious that some Vespa lovers like Budiman will be hesitant about the EV uptake.
But he was quick to dispel the theory that his company was putting the conventional scooters they adore in a bad light.
"We are not trying to lecture anyone about pollution issues," he said.
"We are just offering, for those not used to manual motorcycles, that electric motorbikes can be a solution." – AFP Relaxnews
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
3 hours ago
- The Star
Hong Kong's still ‘over' but Stephen Roach says city a surprise trade war winner
American economist Stephen Roach has said that Hong Kong has benefited from the US-China trade war despite last year having declared the city to be 'over', even as he claimed that other aspects of the financial hub had worsened. The former Morgan Stanley Asia chairman sparked debate last year after he penned an opinion piece which argued, in part, that Hong Kong would be caught in the 'crossfire' of the worsening US-China rivalry. 'The word caught is the word that, if I had to write the piece again, I would probably change, because I think, ironically, Hong Kong has benefited from the crossfire between the US and China,' he told the Post in a recent interview. Despite worsening ties between the two superpowers since US President Donald Trump began levying his so-called reciprocal tariffs on China and the rest of the world, Hong Kong's stock market has seen solid gains. The benchmark Hang Seng Index is up by around 50 per cent since Roach made his original claim, while Hong Kong has rocketed to the top of the global fundraising table following a string of high-profile initial public offerings last month, including from mainland Chinese battery maker Contemporary Amperex Technology. Roach, who is now a faculty member at Yale University, said the 'sell America' trade had become a 'global mantra' and Hong Kong was a beneficiary. But asked whether he felt his initial assessment of the city being 'over' was premature, he noted he would say the same again. 'No economy or city state is over ... but this image of a dynamic, powerful system as part of the 'one country, two systems' model, I think that's just as close to being over today as it was when I originally wrote the piece,' he said, referring to the city's governing principle. 'The governance story is still, I think, very much working against this notion of Hong Kong as a free, independent, autonomous city state. If anything, it's gotten worse.' Roach added that the strong performance of the city's stock market had 'instilled sort of a new swagger in Hong Kong bordering on denial'. He said there were 'questions that could be raised' about the city's independent rule of law, pointing to the departure of foreign non-permanent judges. He also raised concerns about the fast-tracking of the domestic national security law last year and what he described as continuing efforts to 'quash dissent'. While the Hong Kong government had 'risen to the challenge' to demonstrate to the world that the city should be considered 'special', American investors in particular had developed an 'unwillingness' to distinguish it from the rest of China, he said. 'Where I've come out, reluctantly, is that as great a city as Hong Kong is, it's just another big Chinese city,' he said. 'I think it's increasingly a one country, one system model with a solid financial capital raising infrastructure embedded in Hong Kong.' Executive Council convenor Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee, who previously hit back at Roach over his 'Hong Kong is over' remarks, maintained that the American economist did not understand the city. She said the 'pessimistic views' Roach expressed last year 'were primarily based on the Hong Kong stock market's poor performance'. 'He overlooked China's strength in technological innovations and Hong Kong's unique advantages based on its separate systems. We are the only part of China that can invest, manage and provide trading platforms for digital assets.' She cited the city's recently passed law on stablecoins, which she said would help Hong Kong be the country's 'testing ground' for cryptocurrencies. Stablecoins are a type of cryptocurrency token that maintain a fixed value by being pegged to a reference asset, typically fiat currencies such as the US dollar. The law, which was passed last month and is set to take effect later this year, establishes a regulatory regime for stablecoins, paving the way for issuers to obtain licences and sell the digital assets to the public. 'Despite ongoing US-China tensions, Hong Kong will continue to have an important role to play in building bridges between China and the West,' Ip said. - SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST
The Star
4 hours ago
- The Star
Demand for Idul Adha sacrificial livestock drops amid economic slowdown in Indonesia
JAKARTA: Livestock farmers and traders across various regions have complained about a sharp drop in demand for sacrificial livestock during the Idul Adha (Day of Sacrifice) holiday, amid the country's ongoing economic slowdown. Uday, a 41-year-old sheep trader in Bandung, West Java, said he had sold only one sheep on Thursday (June 5) morning, the day before Idul Adha, which falls on Friday (June 6) this year. [The Indonesian government had announced that the Idul Adha (Day of Sacrifice) holiday for the country this year fell on June 6] 'The day before the holiday is usually my busiest and most profitable with buyers typically arriving nonstop even before sunrise. Last year, I sold up to 25 sheep on this day. But today, only one buyer has come to my stall all morning,' he said, as quoted by Kompas. Uday, who prices his sheep between Rp 3 million (US$184) and Rp 5 million each, said he had sold only 10 animals over the past four days, marking a steep drop from last year, when he sold up to 50 sacrificial animals in the lead-up to the holiday. Subari, a cow seller in Batang Regency, Central Java, shared a similar struggle, saying he had managed to sell only 16 cows two days before Idul Adha. 'Last year, I sold 40 cows. But this year, people don't seem very interested in buying sacrificial animals, likely due to the tough economic conditions,' he said on Wednesday. Nizar, a cow farmer from Anambas Islands Regency in the Riau Islands, said his income had dropped sharply compared with last year. 'There are very few buyers this time, a stark contrast to last year. So far, I've only managed to sell four cows. In previous years, I would have already sold 20 to 30 by now,' he said on Wednesday (June 4), as reported by Tribunnews. Galang Saputra, a cow seller at Jetis Animal Market in Ponorogo Regency, East Java, reported that cow prices have fallen by Rp 1 million to Rp 1.5 million ahead of the Idul Adha holiday. 'Instead of rising, prices have dropped due to weak demand,' he said on Wednesday. Sellers at the market have also completely eliminated transportation fees for moving livestock after purchase in hopes of attracting more customers, but with little success. The Institute for Demographic and Affluence Studies (Ideas) estimates that 1.92 million people purchased sacrificial livestock this year, marking a decline of 233,000 buyers or around 12 percent compared with last year. This figure is even lower than during the Covid-19 pandemic, when the institute reported 2.11 million buyers in 2021 and 2.17 million buyers in 2022. Ideas managing director Haryo Mojopahit attributed the decline to a shrinking middle and upper-income class, the primary buyers of sacrificial animals. 'The large-scale purchase of sacrificial animals during Idul Adha is vital to the growth of the country's livestock sector. This sector provides an important source of income for rural communities and acts as a key driver of the local economy,' he said on Monday, as reported by Antara. Haryo added that since the meat from sacrificial animals is mostly distributed to low-income families, Idul Adha also helps narrow the significant gap in red meat consumption between high- and low-income households. A 2024 Ideas survey revealed that individuals in high-income families consume an average of 4.17 kilogrammes of red meat per year, while those in low-income families consume only 0.009 kg annually. Economists said consumer spending power in Indonesia has steadily weakened over the past two years. Wage increases in vital sectors, such as manufacturing, trade and agriculture, have lagged behind rising prices. The situation has been exacerbated by widespread layoffs, including in the primary sector. The country's economy recorded its slowest quarterly growth since Q3 2021, expanding by 4.87 percent. Meanwhile, household spending, which constitutes over half of the nation's gross domestic product (GDP), rose by just 4.89 percent year-on-year in the first quarter of 2025, marking the slowest growth in five quarters, despite increased consumer activity during the Ramadan and Idul Fitri celebrations in March. Overall GDP growth from January to March slowed to 4.87 percent year-on-year, down from 5.02 percent in the previous quarter. - The Jakarta Post/ANN
Borneo Post
6 hours ago
- Borneo Post
DPM Fadillah: Petronas job cuts unrelated to Petros appointment as sole gas aggregator
Fadillah (second right) interacting with guests while presenting a gift of 'daging korban' (sacrificial meat) during the Majlis Ibadah Korban at Masjid Darul Husni Warrahmah in Kuching. – Photo by Chimon Upon KUCHING (June 7): Petroliam Nasional Berhad's (Petronas) decision to cut over 5,000 jobs, along with a freeze on all promotions and recruitment until December 2026, is unrelated to the recent recognition of Petroleum Sarawak Berhad (Petros) as Sarawak's sole gas aggregator. Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof clarified this when met by reporters at the Majlis Ibadah Korban held at Masjid Darul Husni Warrahmah here today. 'No, it has nothing to do with that. It is actually due to the global situation, particularly the decline and fluctuation in oil prices,' he said. Petronas had earlier stated that its internal budgeting was based on Brent crude prices averaging between US$75 and US$80 per barrel. However, the global benchmark has since fallen and is currently hovering around US$65 per barrel. 'Even for Petronas to remain sustainable, oil prices must be above US$60 per barrel. That is why they have to re-evaluate their position,' Fadillah added. MORE TO COME fadillah yusof gas aggregator job cuts Petronas Petros
