Ford and Hyundai discussing EV investments with Indonesia

DETROIT: Indonesia is in discussions with Ford Motor Co and Hyundai Motor Co to establish operations related to electric vehicles in the South-East Asian country, Indonesia co-ordinating minister for economic affairs, Airlangga Hartarto, told an audience in Washington, D.C. last Thursday.

Ford, nickel miner Vale Indonesia and China's Zhejiang Huayou Cobalt said in July they had signed a non-binding memorandum of co-operation to build a plant in Indonesia to extract nickel chemicals.

Hartarto said Indonesia also is in discussions with Hyundai and South Korean battery maker LG Energy Solution over battery and EV investments.

"We have raw materials for EV battery technologies," Hartarto told an audience at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Indonesia's large supplies of nickel, as well as semiconductor production capacity, "can support the US auto industry," he said.