MMore and more electric vehicles are on Malaysia’s roads. Electric vehicles from companies such as Chinese car manufacturer BYD and American electric car manufacturer Tesla are flooding the market. Even the cult brand Morris Garages (MG) is celebrating its return to Malaysia with two electric models.
Minister for Investment, Trade and Industry Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz was quoted in December as saying that Malaysia had over 100,000 registered electric vehicles.
While the government continues to encourage foreign investors to invest in the electric vehicle market, it remains to be seen whether 20 percent of annual new car sales in Malaysia will be electric vehicles by 2030.
This is largely due to the lack of electric vehicle charging stations nationwide. The first step to encourage Malaysians to use electric vehicles is to provide more charging stations in all cities, office buildings, apartments, condominiums, shopping malls, hotels, along expressways and even in residential areas.
Based on the current infrastructure, electric vehicles are best suited for city driving as the batteries last longer in city traffic. Most of the charging stations are located in the Klang Valley. I noticed this when I recently travelled from Petaling Jaya, Selangor to the southern state of Melaka. I could not see any electric vehicle charging stations along the way.
At high speeds, electric vehicle batteries will drain faster. Long-distance trips in electric vehicles are considered difficult, if not impossible, due to the lack of electric vehicle charging stations on Malaysia’s highways. It is undeniable that there are charging stations at certain locations along the major highways. However, more charging stations should be placed at more locations along the highways to provide users with the convenience of charging their cars anytime and anywhere.
It must be noted that stopping a journey to charge an EV battery is time-consuming and tedious when one is in a hurry, and this is an important consideration when purchasing an electric vehicle.
Another obstacle facing Malaysia is the lack of awareness about where to dispose of EV batteries. There are not many EV battery recycling facilities in Malaysia. The lack of EV battery recycling facilities needs to be addressed as improper disposal and recycling of EV batteries has a negative impact on the environment.
The price of electric vehicles should also be considered as the cheapest electric vehicle in Malaysia costs around RM100,000, which is unaffordable for people with lower incomes.
Domestic automaker Perodua will unveil its electric car next year. Perodua is known for its affordable vehicles and its latest offering will hopefully be a viable option for those who cannot currently afford the expensive electric cars in the domestic market.
This is also a step towards becoming a more electric car-friendly country and could contribute to an increase in electric car sales in Malaysia while reducing the country’s carbon emissions.
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