Malaysia at 3,171 EV charging points on track to 10,000 goal by 2025; rural coverage pose challenge

With roughly 14 months left, Malaysia seems to be on track to meet its goal of installing 10,000 electric vehicle charging bays by the end of 2025, though many challenges still remain, particularly in rural areas, reveals Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz, Minister of Investment, Trade, and Industry (MITI).

He highlighted this progress during a session of the Dewan Rakyat on October 23rd, where he also reiterated that, as of September 30, 2024, ‘xEVs’ (or all vehicles powered by some kind of electrification instead of or in addition to internal combustion) represent a total of 33,319 vehicles in the country.

Back to the matter of those public charging points, it now stands 3,171 EV charging units as of the end of 2024’s third quarter. Of these, 813 are the significantly faster DC fast chargers, while the remaining 2,358 are alternating current (AC) units which are more prevalent due to their reduced cost and greater ease of installation.

Based on the current charging infrastructure, the government estimates that it is sufficient to support approximately 31,000 battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) in Malaysia - not far off that aforementioned ‘xEV’ number, though it is worth remembering that HEVs such as the City RS e:HEV and Toyota Corolla Cross do not have plug-in capability.

When it comes to serving the needs of the install base of fully electric vehicle owners, the ratio of charging facilities to BEVs stands at one to nine, according to data from the Malaysian Green Technology and Climate Change Corporation (MGTC).

To support the growth of an EV infrastructure, the National EV Steering Committee (NEVSC) decided during a meeting back in early May to maintain the ambitious target 10,000 public EV charging stations by 2025. Within this target, the goal for DC fast chargers has been increased from 1,000 to 1,500 units, while the aim for AC chargers remains at 8,500 units.

That said, the installation of EV charging stations poses quite the hurdle in rural areas. Tengku Zafrul noted that the high cost of constructing public charging stations, particularly DC fast chargers, has discouraged operators from developing infrastructure, especially in areas where demand is low. This has resulted in an uneven distribution of public charging stations that favour densely populated urban areas, with rural regions lacking adequate facilities by comparison, posing a problem for EV owners who seek to escape the confines of the city sprawl.

To address this issue, the government aims to take proactive steps such as conducting ‘engagement sessions’ with local authorities, highway concessionaires, hypermarket chains, shopping malls, and hotels to encourage the inclusion of public EV charging facilities within these premises.

By involving a broader range of stakeholders, the government seeks to improve access to EV chargers across both urban and rural areas, ensuring that the country's shift toward electric mobility  is inclusive and more equally distributed.