National EV Task Force - Looking At Making EVs More Affordable & Increase Charging Points

Minister of International Trade and Industry, Tengku Zafrul bin Tengku Abdul Aziz shared today that the National Automotive Policy 2020 (NAP 2020) targets Malaysia as a hub for energy efficient vehicles, including electric vehicles. The outcome from this policy is the National EV Task Force (NEVTF), an initiative to ensure that this target is achieved.

He mentioned the above after tabling a special meeting with the National EV Task Force (NEVTF) yesterday where the core matter discussed was the government's effort to reduce the price of EVs in Malaysia so that more people can afford to switch to these cleaner alternatives.

Also tabled was to need to increase the number of EV "Charging Points" throughout Malaysia to support the development of the EV ecosystem. Tengku Zafrul added, “Our achievements in developing the EV industry ecosystem will undoubtedly support Malaysia's commitment under Twelve Malaysia Plan (RMK-12), where the country is targeted to achieve the status of a carbon neutral country by 2050.

Present was also YB Liew Chin Tong, Deputy Minister of International Trade and Industry who echoed that EVs are no longer a pipeline dream but will soon become a necessity.

Both Tengku Zafrul and YB Liew took the opportunity after the NEVTF sitting to officiate the Ministry of International Trade and Industry’s (MITI) very own EV charging station installed at the MITI tower.

According to Tengku Zafrul, although MITI supports the National Automotive Policy 2020 (NAP 2020) which aims to make Malaysia a hub for energy efficient vehicles, including electric vehicles, it is an undeniable fact that not all MITI members have had the experience of driving an electric vehicle.

Thanks to Volvo Cars Malaysia, this void was filled where yesterday MITI’s staff had the opportunity to experience driving the latest XC40 EV from Volvo. The XC40 is also the first fully assembled EV vehicle in Malaysia. Tengku Zafrul was also grateful for the support from Volvo Cars Malaysia in helping Malaysia drive the future of electric mobility and achieve the country's zero carbon aspirations.