Indonesian official breaks speed limit in electric car 'For science!'

Taking an electric car prototype capable of speeding up to 240 kph, State Enterprises Minister Dahlan Iskan of Indonesia, admitted to have broken the law "for the sake of science and technology," reports said.

 

The Jakarta Globe reported that Dahlan took a red "Tucuxi" prototype electric car for a 1,000-km test drive on a public road while using a fake license plate on Saturday, Jan. 5. 

 

The car's brakes failed, causing it to slam into the side of a cliff in East Java, Indonesia.

 

In a press conference, Dahlan was quoted in Jakarta Globe to have said, "“I wasn’t using a real license plate. It was an accessory."

 

"DI 19," the license plate Dahlan used is an obviously fake one because the first two letters does not correspond to any area of origin in Indonesia.

 

“The car didn’t have a license plate. It was an electric car and there was no [roadworthiness] permit [issued for the prototype]. I broke the law in the name of science and I accept whatever consequences arise from this incident,” Dahlan added. 

 

The Jakarta Post reported that the minister said he was ready to accept any punishment for his actions.

 

Before Dahlan's test drive, the Tucuxi already been taken on a 50-km test drive from Yogyakarta to Kaliurang, Indonesia, The Jakarta Post reported.

 

The car had also been modified in Yogyakarta earlier, but Dahlan denied that he intentionally had it modified, and that it was the cause of the brake failure, according to The Jakarta Post report.

 

The Tucuxi, named after a species of dolphin, is an electric sports car designed by Dr. Danet Suryatama, one of the well-known hybrid car designers and advocates in their country. 

 

On a fully charged battery, it can run up to 300 km at its maximum speed of 240 kph. "Batteries can be charged rapidly for 4 hours from empty condition," Suryatama was quoted in TheCarDriving.com.  (http://www.thecardriving.com/read/1183/tucuxi-new-electric-sports-car-from-indonesia/#ixzz2HSM9m6II )

 

Dahlan was among the first ones who ordered the prototype, TheCarDriving.com reported.

 

The Tucuxi costs Rp 1.5 billion (P6.3 million) and would only be manufactured in limited 200 to 400 units, the report added. — TJD, GMA News