East Java Set to Host Indonesia’s First Electric Car Factory
From Jakarta Globe
The East Java district of Gresik on Wednesday said it was ready to host Indonesia’s first electric car factory by May.
East Java’s Industry and Trade Agency chief, Budi Setiawan, said President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono was scheduled to inaugurate the factory on May 20.
“The process is still ongoing, and [the factory] will be inaugurated not long from now, in conjunction with National Awakening Day,” Budi said in Surabaya.
He added that 40 percent of the factory’s workers would be Indonesians, but stopped short of mentioning how many people would be employed by the manufacturer, Great Asia Link (Grain).
Budi said Grain was ready to mass-produce electric multipurpose vehicles, pickups and cars that would be sold at “affordable” prices, around Rp 100 million ($10,400) per unit.
“This will be a breakthrough in the development of the domestic automobile industry. This will be the first in Indonesia and the government is obliged to appreciate the work of our people,” he added.
Budi said the East Java administration would build recharging stations to support operation of the cars.
East Java Deputy Governor Saifullah Yusuf earlier said his administration was ready to purchase the cars for official government use.
“If they are roadworthy, we will automatically use them as official cars. Aside from the affordable price, the most proud aspect of these cars is that they are a creation of the nation,” Saifullah said.
Grain’s president director, Ravi Desai, was quoted by Indonesian news portal tempo.co as saying last month that the company expected the Industry Ministry to soon issue permits for Grain cars to run on Indonesian roads.
Ravi said the Gresik factory would have a production capacity of 20,000 units.
