Tesla Gigafactory Indonesia a done deal? Minister claims agreement to build factory in Central Java

Tesla Gigafactory Indonesia a done deal? Minister claims agreement to build factory in Central Java

There are reports in Indonesian media that claim Tesla has agreed to build a battery and EV factory at an industrial complex in the Central Java province, quoting Bahlil Lahadalia, the country’s Minister of Investment and head of Indonesian Investment Coordinating Board.

Talks have been going on for some time now but it was reported that Indonesia’s discussions with Tesla to build a factory in the archipelago had fallen through back in March 2022. Talks restarted sometime in April, culminating in a meet between Indonesian president Joko Widodo and Tesla CEO Elon Musk at SpaceX’s facility in Texas, where Musk said he would visit the country in November this year.

There has been no official announcement from Tesla on an Indonesian investment so far. Indonesian Minister Lahadalia did not give any specifics either, only saying Tesla will enter Indonesia this year.

The only ASEAN country with an official Tesla retail presence so far is Singapore. No word on a Malaysian retail presence, but there is an intention to explore starting with supercharger sites, presumably to support Singaporean Tesla vehicles driving on Malaysian roads.

An Indonesian Tesla battery factory is likely, even if an Indonesian Tesla car factory isn’t a sure thing at this point. Tesla wants a nickel supply, and Indonesia is rich in the resource but has banned raw nickel exports to encourage processing within the country. So if Tesla wants the nickel, it can have it only if uses it to build a final product inside Indonesia.

Of course, if a battery factory is already in Indonesia, it increases the likelihood of a regional car factory in the country as well since it would make for a more tightly integrated supply chain.

Malaysia is also interested in courting Tesla to set up a facility here, with Prime Minister Ismail Sabri extending an official invitation earlier this month, but from a layperson’s perspective it certainly looks like Indonesia is ahead of the game when it comes to being the site for a regional factory.

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Paul Tan

After dabbling for years in the IT industry, Paul Tan initially began this site as a general blog covering various topics of personal interest. With an increasing number of readers paying rapt attention to the motoring stories, one thing led to another and the rest, as they say, is history.

 

Comments

  • AutoFrenz (the original) on May 21, 2022 at 12:37 pm

    Hopefully this will stop their people from coming here illegally especially by crossing the oceans dangerously…

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 31 Thumb down 20
    • (Dude) on May 21, 2022 at 1:36 pm

      That eont stop anything, if they didn’t get hired by Tesla, they would still cross the ocean dangerously.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 1
    • Lulla Singh on May 21, 2022 at 2:42 pm

      Now ur pple will go n Cross illegally n try to get jobs there, tit for tat

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 24 Thumb down 6
    • Bamkai on May 22, 2022 at 9:15 am

      Whos gonna do your dirty work then . Those bangla come do generate ur economy. This does not change the fact that indon is more feasible than malaysia. Feel ashame anot haha thanks to sohai gomen policy. Still many masih tidur usd ady 4.45 plotek plotek

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 5 Thumb down 11
  • Amran on May 21, 2022 at 12:38 pm

    Syabas pak jokowi! Pls take gud care of our Dumbno BN duta tajuddin Kissing each other.. LOL

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 33 Thumb down 19
    • Why So Serious on May 21, 2022 at 1:50 pm

      Hahaha this minister is well known for bullshitting. Indons are not buying it but somehow some Msians are, that showed how superior the average Indon brains compare to gullible Msians.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 9 Thumb down 2
      • pdesign on May 22, 2022 at 8:52 pm

        i think this investment is looking for the biggest ev market in the future maybe the indo gov has told them their ev market are success because like what u know hyundai ioniq 5 in indonesia has sold more than 1500 unit in 6 days. so maybe that will make tesla interest to invest their

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 0
        • Indonesia has no demand nor the infra setup for EV in the near future, not when their largest cities often suffer blackouts.

          Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 2
    • Amran on May 21, 2022 at 1:56 pm

      Inside Foxconn: Give me intelligence on Indonesia.
      Board of Directors:We strongly recommend their neighbour ,Malaysia…got plenty of related semicon industry,hard working labour ,friendly investor policy,no policy U turns.Sir,u can go ahead..invest in Sabriland.
      Inside Foxconn: What the hell are you waiting for? Call Sabri for me.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 13 Thumb down 6
      • malaysian labors all from indon myanmar nepal. go ask your friends in shah alam or bayan lepas or kulim

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 4 Thumb down 1
      • Copy Paste on May 21, 2022 at 11:10 pm

        Apa lu merepek?

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 9
        • Copy Paste on May 22, 2022 at 1:10 pm

          Copy paste: “Hello..Mr merepek..pergi BM section.Ini Inggeris section.”

          Like or Dislike: Thumb up 4 Thumb down 2
  • pakprobok on May 21, 2022 at 12:58 pm

    dont worry. thats why we send pak probok there. he will make sure this project kiss the wall.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 9 Thumb down 3
    • AutoFrenz (the original) on May 22, 2022 at 11:13 am

      Chinese pronounce it as plovoke…eg you want to plovoke me ijit…you think im scared how…

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 4 Thumb down 1
  • Dong Gor on May 21, 2022 at 1:35 pm

    Did they get sabri concensus or not? We are still hopeful here

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
    • Rakyat Malaysia on May 22, 2022 at 6:58 pm

      Nothing is certain yet. Even Twitter buyout is hanging on uncertainty that it was a done deal. Unfortunately we still go rakyats that believed in fake news even those coming from across the sea. I guess when seeing how many people got Macau scammed, these are the same type of gullible people to believe in anything but majority rakyat have woke after May 2018.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 8 Thumb down 0
  • ikhwan on May 21, 2022 at 1:41 pm

    Thank you B40 for your votes.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 10 Thumb down 5
    • AutoFrenz (the original) on May 22, 2022 at 11:16 am

      100 times better than Pakatan Hopeless…only good at making empty promises and u turn all the time…thank god those morons only lasted for 22 months

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 14 Thumb down 6
      • Better than perikatan national

        Uturn till become roundabout..topkek

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 2
        • Rakyat Malaysia on May 22, 2022 at 6:55 pm

          PN is partnering with PH, so makes it easier not to vote for either of them come GE15. Choose 60 years of stability and betterment for our nation. Choose #BetterNation

          Like or Dislike: Thumb up 6 Thumb down 3
  • Kapchai on May 21, 2022 at 1:41 pm

    I thought… Nusantra in East Kalimantan..
    Part of thier new Capital.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 0
  • Sick&Tired on May 21, 2022 at 3:45 pm

    This is what happens when you elect a competent leader! I still remember in the 90’s (yes, I am old) how malaysia was so much more advanced compared to Indonesia. If we are not careful, it will be Malaysians going to Indonesia to work as maids.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 24 Thumb down 3
    • Gigachad on May 22, 2022 at 1:11 am

      Thats normal la brader, one day you at the top later you at the bottom.

      Look at Rome now.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 9 Thumb down 1
    • Copy Paste on May 22, 2022 at 1:09 pm

      Copy paste: “100 times better than Pakatan Hopeless…only good at making empty promises and u turn all the time…thank god those morons only lasted for 22 months”

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 5 Thumb down 3
  • bieight8 on May 21, 2022 at 4:18 pm

    Maybe Elon don’t need to learn BM in order to do business over there…

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 10 Thumb down 5
    • Rakyat Malaysia on May 23, 2022 at 1:25 am

      Of course not. You don’t learn Japanese to do business in Italy right? But he does need to learn Bahasa Indon to do business there. Maybe that’s why he is still hesitant to commit there.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 2
  • C.P. MOHAN on May 21, 2022 at 7:51 pm

    Elon Musk have also SpaceX and Indonesia have 7000+ islands

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 5
  • “from a layperson’s perspective it certainly looks like Indonesia is ahead of the game”

    For those who might not be aware :

    “Last year, Mr Leo claimed in a tweet that he was the third-largest individual shareholder of Tesla, after Mr Musk and former Oracle chief executive Larry Ellison. Mr Viecha at the time said he “confirmed” the claims.”

    “Tesla head of investor relations Martin Viecha”

    “Indonesia-born Mr Leo”

    Source : Straits Times

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 5 Thumb down 1
  • ROTI CANAI on May 21, 2022 at 11:04 pm

    so what, we got porsches – azmin

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 10 Thumb down 3
    • pdesign on May 22, 2022 at 8:54 pm

      well right now maybe we get porsche but we still looking for the future market because if indo success in ev market many cars company will go for their like hyundai and tesla also foxconn and many more. who knows

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 0
  • Johntenggo JS on May 22, 2022 at 11:47 am

    Mana aku tau

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • Indonisindog on May 22, 2022 at 2:50 pm

    But Indon is still Indon or shorterms in-dog bacause why them intelligence,iq,mental are like animals

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 11
    • ROTI CANAI on May 22, 2022 at 10:17 pm

      kucings like u that make this kind of comment is why malaysia is losing to indog

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 4 Thumb down 1
      • So does that make you an doginselimut? Ahak!

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 0
        • StfuNoOneCareAboutYourOpinion on May 29, 2022 at 6:08 am

          Bro can’t respect other, that’s why we malaysian losing to them XD

          Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 0
  • Balibeachboy on May 24, 2022 at 4:34 am

    Wow. I really would like to see Tesla auto pilot navigate Indonesian traffic….

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 0
  • Mohamed on Jan 13, 2023 at 9:10 am

    Buenos días

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
 

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