Indonesia has taken its first step toward domestic electric vehicle production with the launch of the country's first plant making the eco-friendly cars.

South Korea's Hyundai Motor opened the facility near Jakarta on Wednesday. It plans to eventually produce up to 250,000 vehicles there for both local and global markets.

President Joko Widodo attended the plant's inauguration ceremony and inspected the first electric car produced in the country. He said Indonesia must become an important player in the EV industry's global supply chain.

The government has pushed for electric vehicle development in recent years, in part to help clear up the country's serious air pollution.

Another auto maker reportedly plans to start producing EVs in Indonesia by the end of this year.

The country is a major supplier of mineral resources essential for EV production, like nickel and cobalt.

The government said this year will be important for domestic lithium battery production, and it expects increasing investment. Its goal is for all EVs produced in Indonesia to use locally made batteries and other components by 2024.