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Bakrie subsidiary to develop EV components with SOEs
VKTR has announced its intention to work with state-owned heavy equipment manufacturers PT Industri Kereta Api (INKA) and PT Barata Indonesia on the production of automotive components for electric vehicles (EVs).
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PT VKTR Teknologi Mobilitas president director Gilarsi W. Setijono, PT Barata Indonesia marketing director Sulistyo Handoko, Deputy State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) Minister Kartika Wirjoatmodjo and PT PPA president director Yadi Jaya Ruchandi visit a PT Barata Indonesia factory after signing a heads of agreement (HoA) on the development and manufacture of electric vehicle components in Gresik, East Java, on Sept. 15. (Courtesy of PT VKTR Teknologi Mobilitas/-)
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T Bakrie & Brothers, through its subsidiary PT VKTR Teknologi Mobilitas, is the latest Indonesian conglomerate to enter the country’s nascent electric vehicle industry, collaborating with two state-owned enterprises.
VKTR will work with heavy equipment manufacturers PT Industri Kereta Api (INKA) and PT Barata Indonesia to make components for electric vehicles (EVs).
VKTR is a start-up focusing on the transportation, electrification and telematics ecosystem. It has collaborated with global EV manufacturers such as BYD Auto, battery producer Britishvolt, bodybuilding company Tri Sakti and United Kingdom-based electric mobility tech firm Equipmake.
Read also: Indika Energy’s Ilectra Motor Group launches all-electric motorbike
The heads of agreement (HoA) between VKTR and INKA and Barata was signed by INKA finance, HR and risk management director Andy Budiman, VKTR president director Gilarsi W. Setijono and PT Barata marketing director Sulistyo Handoko on Thursday.
VKTR’s Gilarsi W. Setijono emphasized that the purpose of the strategic partnership was to create an electricity-based transportation ecosystem by combining the competencies and resources of each company.
“Later on, our joint work will be focused on four things, namely research and development, co-manufacturing, repowering or conversion of conventional vehicles into electricity and sustainable ecosystem development," he said, as quoted in a release on Thursday.
For research and development, he added, the parties were open to collaborating with companies or universities.
The parties will cooperate in manufacturing – from the design process to the production of mechanical and electronic components – as well as in the conversion of conventional vehicles to electric ones, repowering.
"In terms of sustainable ecosystem development, the cooperation will [take] the form of providing electricity-based transportation that is more environmentally friendly for a number of tourist destinations. Our main targets include the areas of Sarangan, Bromo, Borobudur and Dieng," explained Gilarsi.
Meanwhile, INKA’s Andy Budiman said the scope of the cooperation also included performance and durability testing of components as well as their installation in EVs.
"For the first phase, the collaboration applies to electric bus transportation by INKA," said Andy.
He noted that INKA supported Presidential Decree No. 55/2019 on the acceleration of battery-based electric vehicles and was currently producing 53 electric buses, 30 of which would be used for transportation at the Group of 20 Summit and later by state-owned Perum DAMRI in Bandung and Surabaya.
"[The local content share] in our first-generation electric buses has reached […] 60 percent and is being improved further through collaboration with universities and local industries," said Andy.
Barata Indonesia’s Sulistyo Handoko said the collaboration was aimed at replacing imported products in the domestic EV industry.
“We continue to innovate in developing the competence of casting products to produce various types of industrial components that are competitive and can substitute for imported components. We welcome this collaboration not only to bring benefits to businesses, but also to contribute to the progress of the national manufacturing industry," said Sulistyo.
Sulistyo added that later Barata Indonesia would produce castings for the electric bus components, from the disc brake casing and front wheel hub to the steering link and front connector pad.
Barata Indonesia manufactures industrial components and engages in construction projects in the fields of agriculture, energy, irrigation and other supporting industries. It is currently developing railway components.
