VinFast Explores EV Collaboration With Indonesia

A delegation from Vietnam’s VinFast recently engaged in discussions with Indonesian Trade Minister Zulkifli Hasan about potential cooperation and investment in the electric vehicle (EV) industry.

During the meeting, VinFast expressed a strong interest in exploring collaboration with Indonesia in various aspects of the EV sector. The Indonesian Trade Minister emphasized their country’s readiness for cooperation, including developing a robust EV ecosystem, fostering a favorable business environment, and optimizing sustainable resource utilization. He highlighted that such partnerships could lead to the growth of the domestic industry and an increase in EV exports.

Minister Hasan welcomed VinFast’s intention to establish an EV manufacturing company in Indonesia, viewing it as a positive step forward. Both Indonesia and Vietnam, being ASEAN member nations with strong economies, see this collaboration as a concrete effort within the ASEAN framework and bilateral relations between the two countries.

The minister also underscored Indonesia’s position as the world’s leading producer of nickel, a critical component for EV batteries, along with other essential minerals like lithium, cobalt, graphite, and manganese.

He noted that the Indonesian government is firmly committed to supporting the growth of the EV battery industry, having set clear objectives for its development, implementation, and utilization in the country. The Trade Ministry has even issued regulations pertaining to the import of used lithium batteries as industrial raw materials, all aimed at bolstering and advancing the domestic EV battery sector.

VinFast expressed eagerness to explore cooperation in the manufacturing of electric cars and batteries within Indonesia, indicating a promising path forward for both countries in the EV industry.

In 2021, VIR reported that VinFast has filed intellectual property (IP) rights in Indonesia for three of its models. According to DetikOto, the rights, filed under “VinFast Trading And Production LLC,” would cover ten years between September 2018 and September 2028.