Tesla is getting ready to meet with Indonesian officials, with news of upcoming EV incentives.
The Asian country will make available incentives to promote EV sales. The incentives will kick in on March 20 and are meant to attract EV companies like Tesla to make investments, as cabinet member Luhut Pandjaitan reveals.
The incentive package will apply to over 200,000 electric motorcycles and 35,900 electric vehicles. Converting internal combustion engine motorcycles will also be covered, up to 50,000 units, according to Tesmanian.
Indonesia wants to develop its local EV manufacturing sector. It is banking on its rich nickel reserves, a key material in EV battery production, to attract EV makers. Reports indicate the government is already in talks with Tesla over a factory.
Luhut commented, “We are finalizing negotiations with two big global car producers. We hope this new policy will make our position much stronger than before. If we don’t give [incentives], they will not come to us.” The minister, however, did not mention names.
Tesla announced on Investor Day that it would build a plant in Mexico, news that was apparently followed closely in the government quarters in Indonesia. Lukut said the new factory would only serve the North American market, and the company would build another facility for Asia, adding to the production capacity already available through Giga Shanghai.
