JAKARTA, March 16 (Xinhua) -- South Korea's Hyundai Motor Group launched its first factory in Southeast Asia on Wednesday, which will produce Indonesia's first locally assembled electric vehicle.
At the plant's inauguration on Wednesday, Indonesian President Joko Widodo said electric vehicles are expected to become Indonesia's main mode of transportation in the future.
"This is the momentum I have been waiting for as we want to make a massive transition from fossil fuel cars to environmentally friendly electric cars immediately," Widodo said.
The Indonesian president hoped that the launching of the vehicle, Hyundai IONIQ 5, produced to reach the domestic and export markets, would be a milestone to spur the development of increasingly sophisticated and attractive electric cars.
As a country that produces important materials for producing electric cars such as nickel, cobalt, copper, and bauxite, Indonesia has established itself as an important player in the global supply chain of this industry. ■