THE state research body has unveiled a homegrown hybrid car, but says in order to make it commercially viable, more funding and development are required.

Abdul Hapid, from the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI), said the research body was seeking opportunities to mass-manufacture its hybrid car, conceived and designed in-house.

A prototype of the car, currently in the research and development phase, was unveiled Thursday at LIPI's Research Center for Electric Power and Mechatronics, in Bandung, West Java.

"We're still tweaking it, so it's still in the trial phase," Abdul said.

LIPI claims the car's main engine is an electric motor, rechargeable via the electricity mains, complemented by a gasoline engine.

Research center head Adi Santoso said the project was part of the government's efforts to mimic the global trend toward electricity-powered transportation.

"The point is to overcome our dependence on fossil fuels and cut back on carbon dioxide emissions," he said.

Abdul said the hybrid car would be much more efficient than conventional cars that ran on gasoline and diesel.

"Only when this car reaches a load point at which the electric power is not enough will the gasoline engine kick in to generate more electricity," he said.

He added this differed from commercially available hybrid cars that used gasoline engines simultaneously with electric motors to generate mechanical movement, or hybrid cars that could only be recharged at special power points.

During Thursday's presentation, LIPI's hybrid car, a four-passenger city type, did not get going until 15 minutes after it was turned on.

Abdul claimed there had been no such glitches during previous test drives.

"They just changed the settings just now," he added.

The ride itself was slow and bumpy, while the handling was heavy because of the lack of assisted power steering.

The emissions from the tailpipe, however, registered low on a meter, while the engine noise was barely audible.

In its current design, the car pushes out peak power of 43 horsepower, LIPI claims.

LIPI expects to be able to produce the car for around Rp 180 million (S$27,668) and retail it for about Rp 200 million.

"But if we get a deal to get it mass-produced, that will slash the production cost significantly," Abdul said.

The project, which began in 2005, has to date cost the research body more than Rp 2 billion.