Develop EV, INKA And Barata Indonesia Components Gandeng VKTR

Illustration (Photo: Doc. Antara)

JAKARTA - A subsidiary of PT Bakrie & Brothers Tbk (BNBR), PT VKTR Teknologi Mobility (VKTR) together with PT Industri Kereta Api (Persero) or PT INKA and PT Barata Indonesia (Persero) have agreed on cooperation in the development and manufacture of electric vehicle-based automotive components.

The Priority Agreement (Head of Agreement/HoA) between the three parties was signed by the Director of Finance of PT INKA Andy Budiman, President Director of VKTR Gilarsi W. Setijono, and Marketing Director of PT Barata Indonesia (Persero) Sulistyo Handoko, witnessed directly by Deputy Minister II of SOEs, Kartika Deputy Minister of BUMN II, Kartika Wirjoatmodjo, in Gresik, East Java, today.

President Director of VKTR Gilarsi W. Setijono emphasized the purpose of establishing this strategic cooperation, namely realizing an electric-based transportation ecosystem by combining competencies and resources owned by each party.

"Later on, our joint work will focus on 4 things, namely research and development; co-manufacture; power or conversion of conventional vehicles into electricity; and sustainable ecosystem development (sustainable ecosystem)," he said in an official statement, Thursday, September 15.

According to Gilarsi, in terms of research and development, the parties are open to collaborating with companies or universities, both those that have collaborated with INKA and VKTR.

Para pihak juga secara bersama-sama menjadi manufaktur (co-manufacture) mulai dari bentuk proses desain hingga manufaktur komponen-komecusi maupun elektronik untuk transportasi listrik.

Gilarsi said, related to the conversion of conventional vehicles into electric vehicles (repower) cooperation will be carried out in terms of the conversion process as well as the design and manufacturing of the necessary components.

"In terms of developing a sustainable ecosystem, cooperation will be carried out in the form of providing more environmentally friendly electricity-based transportation for a number of our main tourist destinations, including the Sarapan, Bromo, Borobudur and Dieng areas," explained Gilarsi.

Meanwhile, INKA Finance Director Andy Budiman said the three companies that had just signed the HoA agreed to collaborate to develop automotive components, especially for electric vehicles in order to create an electric vehicle component industry ecosystem.

The scope of cooperation between the three companies includes the development of automotive components, especially for electric vehicles, testing performance and durability of automotive components resulting from joint development and implementing components resulting from the development of electric vehicles.

"For the first stage, the collaboration will be implemented on electric bus transportation made by PT INKA (Persero)," said Andy.

PT INKA (Persero) supports Presidential Decree No. 55 of 2019 concerning the Acceleration of Battery-Battery Electric Vehicles (Battery Electric Vehicle) and is producing 53 units of electric buses, of which 30 units will be used for transportation at the G-20 Summit and after the G-20 Summit everything will be operated by Perum DAMRI in Bandung and Surabaya.

"TKDN on its first generation electric bus, PT INKA (Persero) has reached 42 percent and this year it has reached 60 percent TKDN and is further being improved through collaboration with universities that include local industries in making electric buses," Andy said.

The Marketing Director of PT Barata Indonesia (Persero), Sulistyo Handoko, positively welcomed the cooperation. As a national manufacturing company, Barata Indonesia has manufacturing capacity with complete infrastructure in various industries.

Not only that, Barata Indonesia is also ready to support the needs of the national transportation industry with high TKDN. This collaboration is also considered to be creating imported substitution products.

"We continue to innovate in the development of casting product competencies to produce various types of industrial component products that are competitive and can substitution of imported components. We welcome this collaboration not only to provide benefits for the business, but also to contribute to the progress of the national manufacturing industry," said Sulistyo.

Sulistyo added that later PT Barata Indonesia will produce casting for the components of the electric bus. Starting from Battalion Arm Front, Front Disc Brave Casing, Front Wheel Hub, Steering Link and Front Connector Pad.

For your information, PT Barata Indonesia (Persero) is a State-Owned Enterprise (BUMN) engaged in industrial component fabrication and construction projects in agriculture, energy, irrigation and other supporting industries, and is currently implementing the development of rail components.

Meanwhile, PT VKTR Mobility Technology is a startup in the field of transportation electrification manufacturing and telematic ecosystems.

The company has signed a strategic partnership with a number of parties, including world-leading electric vehicle manufacturer BYD Auto, UK-friendly battery manufacturer British Volk, caroseri company Tri Sakti, UK heavy mobility technology company Equipmake, Surabaya State Electronics Polytechnic (PENS), Sebelas Maret University (UNS), and several others.

This collaboration with many parties is one of VKTR's strategies to localize its manufacturing technology, as well as aim so that the transportation electrification industry in Indonesia can be built completely from upstream to downstream.