TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesian Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan responded to the statement by co-captain of the Anies Baswedan-Muhaimin Iskandar (Amin) campaign team, Tom Lembong, that Tesla no longer uses nickel-based batteries. Luhut insisted that the former chairman of the Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) made a false statement.

“It is not true that Tesla's Shanghai factory uses 100 percent LFP (batteries) for its electric cars. They still use nickel-based batteries,” Luhut said in a video posted on his personal Instagram, as quoted today, January 25.

The senior minister claimed that South Korean company LG was still supplying nickel-based batteries to Elon Musk's company, which were still being used in its electric vehicles produced in Shanghai, China.

“Some of the EVs have indeed started using LFP. The research on LFP is growing,” Luhut added.

He acknowledged that there is a possibility of declining use of nickel, hence the government must continue to boost the mineral development in a measurable way.

“Now look at our downstream program, in the cathode and many other parts of the lithium battery. We are already very advanced to the extent that our exports are no longer just dependent on raw material exports,” Luhut reiterated.

As widely reported, former trade minister Tom Lembong said in a ‘Total Politik’ podcast that all-electric vehicles produced by Tesla in China have no nickel in their batteries.

“100 percent of Tesla cars made in China use batteries that contain zero percent nickel and zero percent cobalt, it's called LFP, Lithium Ferro Phosphate. Tesla has started to move [away from nickel],” Tom Lembong said.

DICKY KURNIAWAN

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