Indonesian President Joko Widodo said carefully made cooperation with Australia on electric vehicle batteries was a need after conversations on Tuesday with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese that were concerned on the green economy and regional safety. Mr Widodo, who is in his second and final term in office, has an idea to build an electric vehicle battery production industry in Indonesia, which contains the world’s hugest nickel reserves. The EV industry uses the metal prominently. Mr Widodo is looking for cooperation from Australia, a major supplier of key battery component lithium.
“Indonesia and Australia must build a more effective and deliberate economic cooperation through the joint production of EV batteries,” Mr Widodo said to reporters after an yearly leaders meeting with Mr Albanese in Sydney. Mr Widodo told business leaders that Indonesia had a focus to display a million electric cars and 3.2 million electric motorbikes by 2035. Indonesia’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry agreed with an “action plan” with the state of Western Australia on critical mineral supply chain and worker skills, Indonesia’s Ministry of Economic Affairs said. Mr Albanese said the global move towards electric vehicles was a wonderful opportunity.