TVS Plans Expansion of Electric and Ethanol Motorcycle Production in Indonesia

JAKARTA - Indian vehicle manufacturer, TVS Motor Company, plans to expand its factory in Indonesia. The company is also exploring the development of electric motorcycles and ethanol-powered motorcycles. Minister of Investment and Industrialization/Head of BKPM Rosan Roeslani said the plan was discussed when the TVS leadership met President Prabowo Subianto at the Presidential Palace Complex, Jakarta, Thursday, September 17. "The Indian company TVS, which has invested here for motor scooters, three-wheelers, and wants to expand its factory more widely," said Rosan. According to Rosan, TVS expansion is not only directed at electric vehicles. "Not only fuel for EVs, but they will also apply ethanol fuel," he said. Rosan said the talks were still at the planning stage and the possibility of cooperation. "So earlier we talked about the plan and the possibility of such cooperation. It just so happens that the principal is coming, the CEO is coming, so this is more of a courtesy visit to the President," he said. The cooperation being discussed, continued Rosan, includes the development of electric motors and ethanol-based motors. "In the field of development of electric motors, ethanol-based motors," said Rosan. He added that the development will also involve teams from ministries that handle research and higher education. TVS currently has a manufacturing facility in Karawang, West Java, with a production capacity of 300,000 motorcycles. The factory is TVS's base for Southeast Asia. TVS has also developed electric vehicles. In Indonesia, the company markets the iQube S electric motorcycle, in addition to conventional motorcycles and three-wheeled vehicles. The development of ethanol-based vehicles is also in line with the direction of technology that has been mapped by TVS. The company previously mentioned low-carbon fuels such as E20 and E40, as well as electric vehicles, as part of the growth opportunities for environmentally friendly products.