The government is set to launch three types of village vehicles in the fourth quarter of 2018 as part of an automotive project that was initiated in 2010.
Industry Minister Airlangga Hartarto said three companies were ready to manufacture the village vehicles with their own specifications—PT Astra Otoparts with Wintor, CV Karya Hidup Sentosa with KHS and Kiat Motor with Mahesa.
“We have completed the prototypes and are now about to enter the production phase. Hopefully, we can launch them in the last quarter of 2018,” he said after attending a Cabinet meeting at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta on Monday.
PT Astra Otoparts developed Wintor as an agricultural special vehicle (ASV) to carry harvested palm fruit at oil palm plantations. The company has marketed Wintor internally for companies under the Astra International group.
CV Karya Hidup Sentosa is a hand tractor maker based in Yogyakarta and marketed under the Quick brand. The company also produces mini trucks with 500 cc diesel engines for oil palm plantations.
Kiat Motor was founded by Sukiyat in Klaten, Central Java. Its workshop produces Esemka sport utility vehicles (SUV), which boosted the image of then Surakarta mayor Joko “Jokowi” Widodo when he used the car as an official vehicle in 2012.
However, Esemka cars later failed a mass production emissions test.
Airlangga said the village vehicles would be sold at between Rp60 million (US$4,200) and Rp80 million. Three Types of Village Vehicles to Hit Market in Q4 (bbn, Anton Hermansyah, The Jakarta Post)
Operator Mesin Butuh Aplikasi Teknologi 5G Mengoptimalkan Manufaktur 