Jakarta Globe:
On the Road to Producing a National Car for Indonesia
Solo. It’s been a long road, but the students at Solo’s SMK 2 and SMK 5 have succeeded in building a car that has thrust them into the spotlight and could herald a bright future for the country’s automotive industry.
On Monday, Solo Mayor Joko Widodo took the 1,500 cc Kiat Esemka Rajawali for a test drive on the streets of the city, much to the delight of the students and teachers involved in the project.
SMK 2 headmaster Susanta said the car tested by Joko, more popularly known as Jokowi, was a 105 horsepower, four-cylinder sport utility vehicle. The other model produced is the Bima pickup truck. “The car is powered by a modified Kia engine,” he said.
Susanta also pointed out that the vehicles were not the school’s first foray into high-tech manufacturing as it had previously successfully launched a laptop computer.
“We gave the students a lot of room for improvisation and creativity during the project,” he said. “What sets us apart from other vocational schools is that communication between the students and faculty is very open and we went out and got local companies involved in the project.”
Categories: Asia, Indonesia, Science and Technology