Bakrie & Brothers subsidiary, PT Vektr Teknologi Mobilitas (VKTR), has signed a Head of Agreement with state-owned heavy equipment manufacturers of PT Industri Kereta Api (PT INKA) and PT Barata Indonesia to produce electric vehicle components. INKA Finance, Human Resource and Risk Management Director Andy Budiman, VKTR CEO Gilarsi W . Setijono and Barata Marketing Director Sulistyo Handoko signed the agreement in Gresik, East Java, on September 15, 2022.
Budiman said the three companies have agreed to collaborate in developing automotive components for electric vehicles to create an EV ecosystem. The scope of the cooperation covers the development of automotive components mainly electric vehicles, performance test and durability of the joint development of automotive components and implementation of EV components.
“For the first phase, the collaboration will be implemented on electric buses produced by INKA,” he said.
INKA supported the presidential regulation No. 55/2019 on the acceleration of the development of electric vehicles by producing 53 units of electric buses. A total of 30 buses will serve participants of the G20 Summits in Bali in November 2022. After the summit, state owned transportation company Perum DAMRI will operate the buses in Bandung and Surabaya.
“The local content in the electric bus first generation made by INKA reached 42%. This year, the local content will reach 60%. The local content will increase through cooperation with universities and the participation of local industry in the making of electric buses,” Budiman said.
Creating EV ecosystem
At the same event, Setijono emphasized the objective of the strategic partnership establishment, which is to realize the ecosystem of electric-based transportation by combining the competence and resources owned by respective parties.
“Later, our cooperation will focus on four things: Research and development, co-manufacture, repower or conversion of conventional vehicles into electric-based vehicles, and the development of the sustainable ecosystem,” he said.
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According to Setijono, the company is open for collaboration for research and development with companies and universities, which have collaborated with INKA and VKTR. The company will become co-manufacturers of electric vehicle components from designs, until the manufacturing of the mechanical and electronical components. In terms of repower, the cooperation will be in the form of conversion process and design and manufacturing of the needed components.
”In terms of the development of the sustainable ecosystem, the cooperation will be applied in the procurement of the environmental friendly electric based transportation for several tourism destinations among others Sarangan, Borobudur and Dieng [they are in Central Java] and Bromo [East Java],“ Setijono explained.
Meanwhile, Handoko welcomed the cooperation, saying that as a state-owned company, Barata has manufacturing capacity with its infrastructure in various industries.
He added that Barata would produce castings for the electric bus components, from front swing arm, front disc brake casing, front wheel hub, steering link and front connector pad.
Barata 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.
