A Tesla model X airport taxi waits for passengers at Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Tangerang on Dec 14, 2020. (Photo: AFP)
Electric vehicle (EV) maker Tesla must make its cars – not just batteries – in Indonesia, the country's president said on Thursday.
President Joko Widodo told Bloomberg News that Indonesia wants a “huge ecosystem of electric cars” and not just be exploited for its natural resources.
- Joko: Indonesia at pinnacle of global leadership
He also said Indonesia was considering imposing a tax on nickel exports this year to boost revenues. Officials have previously said this could come as soon as the third quarter.
Indonesian officials have said the company has struck deals worth about US$5 billion to buy nickel products from the resource-rich country.
Jokowi, as the president is popularly known, met with Tesla founder Elon Musk earlier this year to drum up investment.
A traffic near Jatinegara market in East Jakarta, Indonesia, on Aug 15, 2022. (Photo: Bloomberg)
Keyword: Indonesia president wants Tesla to make EVs in country