Observers Of National Car Values Can Be Successful But Don't Rebadging

Polytron G3+ electric car. (Photo: Indra/VOI)

JAKARTA - President Prabowo Subianto aspires to have his own car in the next three years. Automotive expert from the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) Yannes Martinus Pasaribu assesses that the national car can be successful but with several notes.

According to him, national cars are expected to be based on electricity or EVs and start with public transportation first. Then strengthen the massive cooperation between tier 3 and 2 industries built domestically.

Because the principal never wants to open the slot in its competitors. Therefore, it must develop its own ecosystem by cooperating with European world-class partners who are not under contract with APM-APM which makes Indonesia just a market.

"Indonesia can compete with the focus on the market niche controlled by the government starting from the EV fleet for official vehicles of state agencies from the centers, strengthening the TKDN policy of 40 percent must be applied to all producers, which gradually increase to more than 80 percent," Yannes told VOI, Tuesday, October 21.

"Starting from the main local parts of the battery, electric motors. The point is, starting from the market niches that we control. The point is that we will do a benchhead market (small segment targeted by bisni that has just entered the market) before going global," he added.

Yannes juga yakin Indonesia memiliki potensi nyata untuk sukses dengan mobil nasional berbasis EV, jika baterai murah dan desain mobil menjawab kebutuhan lokal. Terakhirnya, jangan menghadirkan mobil yang rebadging atau mengganti merek saja, seperti hal Esemka.

"Indonesia has real potential for success with EV-based national cars, as long as it focuses on its comparative-competitive advantages. Ready to build a factory in Indonesia with the concept of increasing TKDN which is real, in order to avoid violations of WTO (World Trade Organization) and rebadging. The key is collaboration with world big players who want to transfer their core technology to Indonesia," he concluded.

Previously, Prabowo Subianto promised that Indonesia would have its own car in the next 3 years. He said the Indonesian government had prepared a special allocation of funds for the production of this Indonesian-made car.

"Ladies and gentlemen, it is not yet an achievement but we have started to getrintis. We will have a car made in Indonesia in the next 3 years," Prabowo said at the Plenary Cabinet Session at the State Palace, Jakarta, Monday, October 20.

"I've allocated the funds, we've prepared the land for the factories. We're working now on the team. We've produced a sweater made in Indonesia," he continued.