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☆ Indonesia's EV ambitions could help boost investments in the rest of Southeast Asia
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-25 | by ( Quek Jie Ann | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Korean automobile manufacturer Kia displays the electric vehicle "EV6 GT-Line" during the 30th Gaikindo Indonesia International Auto Show in Tangerang on August 10, 2023. Indonesia's EV-friendly policies have lured global investors to the country, but experts say they could also boost investments in Southeast Asia's automotive industry more broadly. Indonesia could be the "gateway" to the rest of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, said Anindya Novyan Bakrie, CEO and president director of Bakrie & Brothers, an Indonesian conglomerate whose electric vehicle unit VKTR manufactures electric buses as well as EV parts. The Southeast Asian country is rich in copper, nickel, cobalt and bauxite — materials essential for the manufacturing of electric vehicle batteries. Indonesia is the largest nickel exporter, accounting for 22% of the world's reserves, according to a report by the ASEAN Briefing.

Persons: Anindya Novyan Bakrie, Tesla Organizations: Kia, Indonesia's, Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Bakrie, Brothers, ASEAN, BMI Fitch Solutions, CNBC Locations: Indonesia, Tangerang, Indonesian

"Indonesia is not an easy market to do business on your own," said Kim, adding that, beyond government sales, VKTR was in talks with large domestic businesses to sell BYD EV buses. TAKING ON TESLAThai EV buyers contributed 24% of BYD's overseas sales in the second quarter, making it the Chinese automaker's largest foreign market, according to Counterpoint, whereas fewer than 1% of Tesla's sales are in Southeast Asia. BYD's Southeast Asia playbook and its embrace of dealerships contrasts with Tesla, whose direct-to-consumer approach is hard to replicate, since no other new EV brand has its buzz or the outsized media presence of its CEO Elon Musk. BYD and its partner Sime Darby Motors are experimenting with a new approach to draw young, tech-savvy consumers towards the Chinese brand in Singapore. The partnership has launched five "BYD by 1826" showrooms that double as white-tablecloth restaurants where dishes are named after BYD EV models.

Persons: Edgar Su, EVs, Tesla's, Soumen, BYD, Sime Darby, Indonesia's, Chee, Kiang Lim, Ayala, Antonio Zara, Rever, Alex Kim, Kim, VKTR, Tesla, Elon Musk, Darby, Jeffrey Gan, Devjyot Ghoshal, Stefanno Sulaiman, Jamie Freed Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Counterpoint Research, Reuters, Commission, Ayala Corp, Thailand's, Urban Science, Brothers, Ayala Corp's, Motors, Thai EV, Asia playbook, Darby Motors, Sime, Sime Darby Motors, Thomson Locations: Singapore, Rights BANGKOK, JAKARTA, Southeast Asia, Thailand, Malaysia, Philippines, China, Shenzhen, Bangkok, Indonesia, Jakarta, Asia, Hong Kong, Macau

☆ Chinese EV major BYD's partnerships in Southeast Asia
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Nick Carey/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSept 19 (Reuters) - Chinese electric vehicle frontrunner BYD (002594.SZ) has taken an early lead in Southeast Asia's small but fast-growing EV market, partly on the back of distribution partnerships with large, local conglomerates. Here are details about some of its regional partners: MALAYSIA & SINGAPOREBYD cars are sold by Sime Darby Motors, the automotive arm of Malaysian trading and logistics giant Sime Darby (SIME.KL), in two of the region's wealthiest countries. The partnership started in 2019 when Sime Darby Motors began distributing BYD EVs in Singapore, where it now has a dealership network of seven outlets. Sime Darby Motors took on the distributorship for Malaysia in 2022 and currently has nine dealerships nationwide, with another 12 in the pipeline, the company said. INDONESIAIndonesia's Bakrie & Brothers (BNBR.JK), which is focused on the manufacturing and infrastructure sector, is a distributor for BYD's EV buses in Southeast Asia's largest economy.

Persons: Nick Carey, Sime Darby, Darby, Sime Darby Motors, BYD, INDONESIA Indonesia's, Devjyot, Jamie Freed Organizations: REUTERS, MALAYSIA, SINGAPORE, Sime, Sime Darby Motors, THAILAND Rever, EV giant's, Siam Motors Group, PHILIPPINES AC Motors, Ayala Corp, BYD's, Thomson Locations: Farnborough, Britain, Southeast, Singapore, Malaysia, THAILAND, BYD, Thailand, PHILIPPINES, Philippines, INDONESIA, Asia's, Jakarta, VKTR, Bangkok

☆ Indonesia's Bakrie Group seeks nickel mine, partners up for $9 bln EV project
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( Stefanno Sulaiman | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Gilarsi W. Setijono, chief executive of Bakrie Group's EV distributor unit PT VKTR Teknologi Mobilitas, said the Indonesian company plans to acquire a nickel mine in Central or Southeast Sulawesi to supply the park. It also aims to produce 20 GWh worth of EV batteries per year by 2028 for both domestic and export markets, he said. The consortium will launch a pre-feasibility study in March and firm up each company's investment afterwards, Gilarsi said, noting that Bakrie Group hopes to become a controlling stakeholder. Separately, Bakrie's VTKR plans to launch a $60 million initial public offering in the first half of 2023 to invest in its own EV production, Gilarsi said. Indonesia is keen capitalise on its rich nickel reserves to develop battery and EV industries.

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