Life cycle cost of mobility electrification with renewable energy in an off-grid rural area: The Karya Jadi village case in Indonesia

Renewable energy (RE) has been used to support electrification in off-grid areas. However, not all RE systems can be sustained for the intended lifetime of the technology. A major technical cause of a premature RE project failure in an off-grid area is the short lifespan of the battery and the economic and access inability of the end-users to make a battery reinvestment. For example, in Karya Jadi Village, South Kalimantan, Indonesia, a government program providing household solar photovoltaics (PV) lasted only 3 years due to battery deterioration. While PVs are still functional, they are limited, as daytime lighting is unnecessary because sunshines occur during the daytime. On the other hand, the affordable electric motorbike industry in Indonesia is currently growing. This study explores the financial saving potential of electric motorbike usage in villages charged by existing PV systems by employing the life cycle cost (LCC) methodology. Transportation is an essential basic need for people living in remote off-grid villages such as Karya Jadi. Furthermore, gasoline sold in such villages is pricier than in the city because it must be transported for a considerable distance and challenging topography. This study calculates the savings from shifting from an internal combustion engine (ICE) motorbike to an electric motorbike in Karya Jadi village in Indonesia.