Indonesia has approached Chinese automaker Geely to collaborate on the development of a domestic electric car by either 2025 or 2026. Indonesian senior minister Luhut Pandjaitan revealed this request during a recent seminar. Geely has reportedly agreed to the proposal, acknowledging that the research for the car must be led by Indonesia. The Indonesian government has offered to supply nickel ore for the production of EV batteries in exchange for Geely’s involvement.
Although Geely has not commented on the matter, it is speculated that the Geely Panda Mini, a two-door, four-seater vehicle, could potentially be adapted for the Indonesian market to compete with the Wuling Air. This request from Indonesia follows recent news that Geely has discontinued plans for EV production in Thailand and is now looking towards Malaysia.
Indonesia has been actively seeking investment from automakers to establish EV production in the country, leveraging its abundant nickel reserves, a crucial component of EV batteries. While China’s Hozon New Energy Automobile and Japan’s Mitsubishi Motors have expressed commitments to investing in EV production in Indonesia, efforts to attract companies like Tesla and BYD have not yet materialized.
Indonesia’s partnership with Geely for the development of a homegrown EV demonstrates its commitment to establishing a local brand in the electric mobility sector. By collaborating with Geely, Indonesia aims to harness Geely’s expertise while asserting its leadership in research and development.
Sources:
– Reuters