Indonesian consumer electronics manufacturer Polytron, owned by the local Djarum Group, entered the domestic vehicle market this week with the launch of a locally-assembled battery electric vehicle (BEV) model, produced in partnership with China’s Skyworth Automobile Intelligence Company Ltd. Polytron, more widely known in Indonesia as a producer of TVs, refrigerators, air conditioning systems and other household electronics, began producing battery-powered motorcycles in 2022.
Polytron this week became the first Indonesian company to introduce a domestically branded BEV, the G3 medium-sized SUV, based on the Skyworth K model, which is also available in other markets in South-east Asia. It has a driving range of 402 km and is powered by lithium ferro phosphate (LFP) 52 kW batteries.
Polytron claims that the G3 (and G3+) are more than the result of a rebadging exercise, but rather the product of a deeper product development collaboration between the two companies – including local hardware and software development. The vehicles are produced at a plant in Kudus, in Central Java, mainly from knocked-down parts imported from China.
The two companies have set a target of producing around 10,000 Polytron BEVs in the next three years, mainly for the local market.
