KUALA LUMPUR: Southeast Asia’s largest integrated car e-commerce platform Carsome is bolstering its Indonesian operations and has committed to investing in expanding its business in the nation’s planned Nusantara capital.
It is also joining forces with Indonesia-based Electrum to contribute to the future of Indonesian mobility by encouraging the adoption of sustainable mobility solutions as the nation ramps up towards meeting its energy transition goals. Electrum is a joint venture between TBS and Gojek with a mission to develop and transform the two-wheeled electric vehicle ecosystem in Indonesia.
In conjunction with Carsome’s participation in Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s working visit to Jakarta, on Sunday, Carsome’s co-founder and group CEO Eric Cheng submitted a Letter of Intent (LOI) to International Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz citing the company’s interest to set up operations in Nusantara and to invest in digitalising its automotive industry.
The ceremony was witnessed by Anwar, who was accompanied by Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Zambry Abd Kadir, Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Werdiningsih and Indonesian Public Works and Housing Minister Basuki Hadimuljono.
The LOI was subsequently handed over by Tengku Zafrul to Bambang Susantono, chairman of the Nusantara Capital City Authority in the presence of the Anwar and Indonesia President Joko Widodo at the Bogor Presidential Palace on Monday.
In a separate development during the Jakarta visit, Carsome announced its collaboration with Electrum to accelerate two-wheeler EV adoption in response to growing local demand for sustainable and economical transportation. Electrum, a joint venture between Gojek and TBS Energi Utama, was established in 2021 and aims to drive Indonesia to emerge as a leader in the global EV industry.
Commenting on both milestones, Cheng said, “Carsome thanks the Malaysian government for the opportunity to be amongst front-runners to invest in the growth of Indonesia’s future capital city, Nusantara. We’re well-placed to contribute towards strengthening Nusantara’s automotive ecosystem through digitalisation and to drive talent development and job creation with the establishment of new centers in the capital.
“Our partnership with Electrum will be game-changing. Together, we are exploring options to encourage two-wheeler EV adoption as demand grows for more economical and sustainable mobility solutions to power the nation’s economic growth. As the leading car e-commerce platform with significant operations in Indonesia and the South East Asia region, we will be able to complement Electrum’s growth aspirations to drive EV adoption in Indonesia.
“This partnership also signals a new era in Carsome’s journey to mature our plans and support the anticipated growth in EV adoption across the region.”
Cheng said Carsome has been present in Indonesia since 2017.
At present, Carsome operates 42 retail centres in Jabodetabek, West Java, and East Java. It launched Indonesia’s first Carsome Certified Lab in August 2022 which is the largest across its four markets of operation. In June 2022, Carsome Academy, Carsome’s automotive technical institute, was launched in Jakarta to increase skilled workforce in the automotive industry.
Other strategic alliances in Indonesia include acquisitions of iCar Asia, Southeast Asia’s largest online auto classified platform which operates Mobil123 in Indonesia; equity share acquisition of PT Universal Collection, Jakarta-based car and motorcycle auction service company with subsidiaries across Indonesia.
