The government has confirmed that officials were “still talking” with automaker Tesla Inc. amid reports that the American company has expressed an interest in building a battery factory in Indonesia, which has been vocal about its strong ambition to become an electric vehicle (EV) powerhouse. High-ranking officials announced in late February that the government and state-owned enterprises (SOE) had started plans for a factory that could be used to either power EVs or energy storage systems (ESS), a complementary technology to solar photovoltaics and wind turbines. “We are still talking with Tesla. I cannot give any additional details [but] I want to clarify that we have never spoken to them about an EV factory,” Coordinating Investment and Maritime Affairs Ministry investment and mining deputy Septian Hario Seto said at a discussion hosted by KataData on Mon…