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Indonesia’s President has a message for Tesla makers. Is Elon Musk listening?
“What we want is the electric car, not the battery. For Tesla, we want them to build electric cars in Indonesia,” President Widodo told news agency Bloomberg during an interview on Thursday.
Indonesian President Joko Widodo has said that his government wants Tesla to make electric cars in Indonesia and not just batteries. “What we want is the electric car, not the battery. For Tesla, we want them to build electric cars in Indonesia,” President Widodo told news agency Bloomberg during an interview on Thursday.
Widodo said Indonesia wants a huge ecosystem of electric cars.
In recent years, Indonesia which is home to almost a quarter of global nickel reserves has been a powerhouse producer.
The Bloomberg report said Indonesia will be an “extremely attractive destination for auto and battery-makers, including Tesla, looking for battery materials”.
On being asked what was holding back Indonesia from a deal with Tesla, Widodo said it is still in a discussion phase.
“Everything needs time. I don’t want to be quick with no result. It needs intense communication and the result will show.”
In May, an Indonesian official said the government was arranging a meeting between Widodo and Tesla CEO Elon Musk to discuss potential investments.
A government statement said the Tesla boss was considering a visit to Indonesia to explore opportunities.
Apart from electric cars, Indonesia has also held talks with Musk on potential partnerships, including the possibility of a SpaceX rocket launch site in the country. However, no agreements have been reached yet.
(With Bloomberg inputs)
