Minister Feels Confident Indonesia to Become EV Industry Center

Bekasi – The Indonesian Trade Minister Zulkifli Hasan or called Zulhas feels confident that Indonesia will become the center of electric vehicles in the world, both car and motorcycle. This is because Indonesia has a lot of battery raw materials.

The minister said that to realize this, the Government has made various efforts. In particular, to make investors interested in investing and building factories for the electric vehicle industry. 

"We have the advantage of a larger population, we also have batteries, if many factories can make them here, we will become the center of electric motor cars, green economy vehicles are here," the Minister said after visiting PT Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Indonesia, in Bekasi Regency, West Java, on Tuesday. 

Furthermore, he ensured the seriousness of the Government to make Indonesia the center of electric vehicles. One is by banning nickel exports or what is known as the downstream policy.

According to Minister Hasan, the government wants electric car players to come and build their factories in the country. So, Indonesia no longer needs to sell nickel raw materials.

"Mr. President (Joko Widodo) banned nickel exports, which we call the downstream policy, which is banned by Europe because it will harm them. That way we profit thousands of times, selling one nickel, if you sell batteries, it's thousands of times. Therefore, we really want the electric car center to be here, because we have the resources," the Minister explained. 

However, Minister Hasan did not deny that Indonesia also lacks other mineral materials, such as lithium and graphite. Therefore, Indonesia is working with Australia to become a battery center.

"We have nickel, while there (Australia) has lithium, so that later we can work together and become a battery center, Australia has the raw materials. Because we cannot do it alone, we have to work together, we can hope that the ecosystem of green energy and electric cars can be here," he added.