Industry Minister Intensifies Efforts on New National Car Plan

KatadataOTO – The government is reportedly getting more serious about creating a national car. They are even said to have opened discussions with one manufacturer.

The Minister of Industry revealed that there are several parties who want to produce the vehicle.

“Earlier, a manufacturer told me they have a concept for building a national car,” said Agus Gumiwang, the Minister of Industry, at the opening of IIMS 2025 on Thursday (13/02).

Agus revealed that one of the names that has also stated its readiness for the project is Polytron.

Photo : KatadataOTO

He also mentioned that there is another group that has expressed its seriousness in participating in the development of the national car.

“I will invite them, but there are already several groups that have stated they are ready to build a national car,” said Agus.

As for the national car concept, Agus explained that not all components of the vehicle will be made domestically.

However, he emphasized the importance of implementing a minimum TKDN (Local Content Level) as a requirement for the project.

“There is no sector anywhere that can be 100 percent (made domestically). That is called the global value chain,” the Minister of Industry affirmed.

Pindad Maung Was Previously Proposed

For your information, the government previously wanted to make the Pindad Maung tactical vehicle a national electric car in the near future.

“We already have the Maung, perhaps there will be further development. We will discuss and work on it further later,” said Rosan Roeslani, Minister of Investment and Downstreaming/Head of the Investment Coordinating Board, at a different location.

Rosan said that developing the Pindad Maung into an electric four-wheeled vehicle could accelerate the transition to renewable energy.

And push the country's automotive industry in a more environmentally friendly direction, in line with the government's mission.

“We are consistent with achieving net-zero emissions by 2060. In fact, President Prabowo Subianto wants it to be even faster,” said Rosan.

Photo : PT Pindad

It should be noted that PT Pindad already has one prototype, the Pindad Morino EV, which was introduced some time ago.

According to the official PT Pindad website, the Morino EV is a light, four-wheeled electric tactical vehicle designed to support high-mobility operations.

Unfortunately, there are no detailed explanations about Pindad's EV. However, this product is equipped with an electric motor that can produce a peak power of 160 hp.