Here’s How The National EV Steering Committee Plans To Speed Things Up

At the MoU signing ceremony between Yinson Greentech and PLUS Malaysia Berhad, the Minister of Investment, Trade, and Industry (MITI) YB Senator Tengku Datuk Seri Utama Zafrul Aziz announced that the country is poised for significant growth and development.

This, according to the minister, is evident from the government's strategic initiatives such as the National Automotive Policy (NAP) and the Low Carbon Mobility Blueprint (LCMB).  However, Tengku Zafrul says the real game-changer lies in the upcoming New Industrial Master Plan 2030 (NIMP2030).

The minister says NIMP2030 will revolutionise the country's manufacturing sector. Said plan has set forth ambitious goals for Malaysia's manufacturing industry, including the development of new clusters and the enhancement of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) practices.

One significant aspect of achieving these goals is through the integration of value chains between different industries. By fostering collaboration among stakeholders, Malaysia aims to accelerate its transition to net-zero emissions and prioritise the development of green industrial infrastructure.

With this, industrial players can expect increased incentives to support their decarbonization efforts, particularly those contributing to Malaysia's green or renewable energy ecosystem.

The successful transition to the Next Generation Vehicles (NxGV) and Electric and Electronic Vehicles (EEV) infrastructure, would depend on addressing three key concerns. The first revolves around ensuring compelling customer incentives and conveniences that cater to the daily needs of vehicle owners.

Next, it will address both the lack of viable charging stations and range anxiety, which are the top concerns for consumers. Thirdly, it seeks to ensure a reliable utility supply to power the charging ecosystem, both in urban and rural settings. This is vital for the widespread adoption of electric vehicles. This however requires collaboration between charge point operators (CPOs) and grid operators to establishing standardised, reliable connections nationwide.

Furthermore, Tengku Zafrul also agreed that the growth of the EV charging network is still slow based on the 10,000 EV chargers by 2025 target. When probed by CariCarz.com, he admitted that there has been concerns and push-back from certain quarters like the fire and rescue department (Bomba). This has resulted in the necessary guideline still not being finalised. This could be a factor stymying CPO’s from pushing for faster growth in their charging network.

Moving forward, the EV Task Force would establish a National EV Steering Committee which would comprise various government ministries like the Ministry of Finance (MOF), Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI), Ministry of Transport (MOT), Works Ministry (KKR) and more. It’s tasked to synchronise the effort at ministerial level towards speeding up all the processes to aid the growth of EV infrastructure.

That aside, Tengku Zafrul also acknowledged that the level of incentives provided to key players in the growth of the EV industry, especially the charging network providers, would have to increase due to the heavy cost associated in setting up these facilities that would only achieve economies of scale further down the road.