November 27, 2024

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Hyundai Motor's Ioniq 5 and an example of the Indonesian traditional dyeing technique known as batik (From the websites of Hyundai Motor Group and UNESCO)

Hyundai Motor Company will produce limited editions of its popular electric vehicle Ioniq 5 featuring designs of batik, a traditional Indonesian dyeing technique, according to Indonesia’s top envoy in Seoul on Wednesday.

Gandi Sulistiyanto, Indonesian ambassador to South Korea, said Indonesia and Hyundai Motor will work together to create an Ioniq 5 embodying the batik design, a UNESCO cultural heritage that has inherited generations of Indonesian culture.

According to UNESCO, batik is dyed by proud craftspeople who draw designs on fabric using dots and lines of hot wax. The craft of batik, which is often handed down within families for generations, is connected to the cultural identity of the Indonesian people as it expresses their creativity and spirituality through the symbolic meanings of its colors and designs.

The ambassador made the remarks when he attended an event hosted by the Korean carmaker at its exhibition hall in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Korea and Indonesia.

During the event, the diplomat pointed out that the Ioniq 5 will be at the center of collaboration between the two countries in the future, adding that the two sides will have to discuss how the Indonesian batik design will be realized through the EV.

The Indonesian ambassador hinted at the possibility of Hyundai Motor utilizing the batik design for more products in the future. He said the initial collaboration will focus on manufacturing limited editions only. He said that he expects the launch of the batik-themed Ioniq 5 to happen in August or September without mentioning specific dates.

Erick Thohir, Indonesia’s minister of state-owned enterprises, previously posted in an Instagram post in March that he had met with Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Chung Euisun to discuss the development of the EV ecosystem in Indonesia. At the time, the official also hinted at the possible collaboration to build 100 Hyundai EVs featuring the batik design.

Hyundai Motor is the largest EV maker in Indonesia. After selling 2,500 EVs last year, the carmaker aims to bolster its EV sales to 10,000 units this year, further widening the gap with global rivals such as Tesla and Lexus. The Ioniq 5 is the automaker’s best-selling EV in Indonesia.

By Kan Hyeong-woo (hwkan@heraldcorp.com)