Bloomberg quoted Indonesian President Joko Widodo as saying that Indonesia has urged U.S. electric car maker Tesla to produce cars and car batteries in the country. Widodo said in an interview that Indonesia wants to build a “huge ecosystem of electric vehicles” rather than just use its natural resources to make batteries. Earlier this year, the president and senior administration officials held a meeting with Tesla founder Elon Musk, asking him to consider Indonesia as an auto manufacturing hub while producing batteries on schedule. A Tesla representative had no immediate comment on the report. Tesla…
Indonesia has urged U.S. electric car maker Tesla to make cars and car batteries in the country, Bloomberg News The country’s President Joko Widodo was quoted as saying.
Widodo said in an interview that Indonesia wants to build a “huge ecosystem of electric vehicles” rather than just use its natural resources to make batteries.
Earlier this year, the president and senior administration officials held a meeting with Tesla founder Elon Musk, asking him to consider Indonesia as an auto manufacturing hub while producing batteries on schedule.
A Tesla representative had no immediate comment on the report.
Tesla buys nickel from Indonesia
In early August, Indonesia’s senior minister, Luhut Pandjaitan, who oversaw negotiations with Tesla Say Tesla has struck a deal worth about $5 billion to buy nickel products from a nickel processing company operating in Morowali on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi. Nickel materials will be used in Tesla’s lithium batteries.
Luhut added that his department is still in talks with Tesla, noting that Musk is “busy with domestic matters, including Twitter.”
At the May meeting, Widodo invited Musk to visit Indonesia in November, when the country will host a summit of leaders of the major G20 economies.
Strong global interest in Indonesian EV production
Companies that have invested or announced plans to invest in electric vehicle manufacturing in Indonesia include Japan’s Toyota Motor and Mitsubishi Motors, and South Korea’s Hyundai Motor.
SGMW Motor Indonesia, part of a joint venture between SAIC, General Motors and Wuling Motors, already operates an electric vehicle assembly plant in the country.
