Jakarta. Toyota Indonesia shipped 285,000 completely built-up (CBU) vehicles to 100 countries across Asia, South America, Africa, the Middle East, Australia, and Oceania in 2023. Looking ahead to 2024, Toyota sets an ambitious goal for a 3% export growth, aiming to reach 300,000 units, marking the largest export volume in Indonesia. 

"The target for T-brand vehicles this year is expected to match last year's export or increase by 3%, reaching 300,000 units," President Director of PT TMMIN Nandi Julyanto said in a statement on Wednesday.

Electric vehicles played a significant role in this achievement. The Kijang Innova Zenix Hybrid saw an export of 3,000 units, while the recently launched Yaris Cross Hybrid, introduced in mid-2023, reached 6,400 units to international consumers. Both electrified vehicle variants received positive responses in Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the Middle East.

Julyanto said that sport utility vehicles (SUVs) Veloz and Fortuner were the most exported vehicles, reaching over 106,000 units in 2023. In addition to exporting fully assembled vehicles, Toyota Indonesia shipped vehicles in a disassembled form (CKD), engines, components, and production support tools such as dies and jigs.

Looking ahead to 2024, Julyanto acknowledged the challenging economic uncertainties globally but predicted a 5% growth in the Indonesian economy. 

"In this challenging year, we target a 3% increase in vehicle exports to surpass 300,000 units. We are making various efforts to accelerate the export performance of the national automotive industry by introducing complete electrified vehicle variants that meet the needs of global consumers," he said.

According to Julyanto, the Indonesian automotive sector contributes up to 4% of the country's gross domestic product (GDP). The employment generated throughout the automotive value chain, including small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the component sector, exceeds 1.5 million.

Meanwhile, Bob Azam, Vice President Director of TMMIN, explained that Toyota Indonesia had initiated the production of electrified vehicles, namely the Kijang Innova Zenix and Yaris Cross hybrid. Notably, these two vehicles use locally produced batteries from the Karawang 1 plant.

"Last year, Toyota Indonesia's electrified vehicle exports reached 9,400 units. This figure demonstrates that high-tech and globally competitive domestically-produced export products have been well-received in the international market," said Bob.

Toyota Indonesia is adding export destinations to non-traditional markets and diversifying vehicle export models, such as exporting the Fortuner cash carrier to Vietnam and Fortuner Escort to Palau.

Bob said that the national automotive industry is expected to be a priority industry supporting the economy, given the promising prospects of environmentally friendly internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles and electrified vehicles. Supported by competitive human resources and abundant natural resources, Indonesia has a significant opportunity to become a global player in both conventional and electrified automotive industries.