As of September 30th 2024, electrified ‘xEV’ vehicles in Malaysia total 33,319 - Tengku Zafrul

As of September 30, 2024, according to Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry, Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz, Malaysia’s electrified vehicle (xEV) market reached 33,319 units, representing approximately 5% of the total industry volume (TIV).

Of course, ‘xEV’ is a term not too commonly heard or mentioned, but is a category that lumps all vehicles not powered solely by internal combustion, obviously including battery electric vehicles but also plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) such as the Mercedes-Benz C 350 e (pictured below), hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) such as the Toyota Corolla Cross, and fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs).

Also worth noting is that, of the total, BEVs made up a significant chunk at about 15,000 units.

During a question-and-answer session in the Dewan Rakyat, Tengku Zafrul emphasised that hybrids and PHEVs remain important in supporting the country's goal of achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.

This came in response to a question posed by Datuk Mohd Isam Mohd Isa, who asked about the government’s stance on other electrified vehicles amid its sharper focus on BEVs. The government has set a target of 20% of new vehicles sold annually to be xEVs by 2030, though it remains to be seen if the public demand will increase in concert with this target over the next 6 years of this decade.

Tengku Zafrul also revealed that a total 4,984 applications have been approved for the Electric Motorcycle Usage Encouragement Scheme, also known as MARiiCas. This program, ending on December 31, 2024, provides a cash rebate of RM2,400 for electric motorcycle purchases, as well as RM200 per month for 12 months for subscription-based applications.

The scheme, run by the Malaysian Automotive Robotics and IoT Institute (MARii) under Budget 2024, aims to make electric vehicle technology more accessible. Tengku Zafrul also highlighted that if the program continues, many Malaysians with annual incomes of RM120,000 or below will benefit from affordable access to electric motorcycles.