ST Promises Quick Approval, EVC Calls For More Charging Hub!

Earlier today, during a segment on national television channel RTM1, representatives from the Energy Commission (ST) and local charge point operator (CPO) EV Connection (EVC), were invited to share their perspectives on the expansion of EV charging stations in Malaysia.

ST was represented by Mohd. Elmi Anas, Director of Industrial Operations, and Mohd. Yusrul Yusof, Deputy Director of the Licencing Unit. EVC, on the other hand, was represented by its Managing Director, Lee Yuen How.

According to what we've gathered throughout the segment, the topics discussed were mostly surface-level, with little emphasis on why the charging network's growth has been slow.

According to Mohd. Elmi, ST is not there to complicate CPO processes, but rather to ensure that all safety aspects are met through certification of both the charging devices and the technicians who install the chargers as required by the law.

Furthermore, he stated that CPOs are now technically required to be licenced under the public licencing act because they act as energy resellers on behalf of Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB).

When asked how to improve the country's charging situation, Lee responded that CPOs needed to think bigger. Most charging locations currently have only one or two charging nozzles, and proper charging hubs similar to petrol stations are required.

Mohd. Yusrul went on to say that the general public can determine whether a station is licenced by visiting the Energy Commission's website or looking for a certification sticker on the charging cabinet.

He also stated that ST has gradually reduced the approval time for stations to be licenced from 60 to 30 days. Yusrul also emphasised that this is only the maximum number of days, as most cases are resolved sooner. According to him, the majority of delays result from CPOs having to deal with many other parties before ST, such as approval from Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB), land owners, and local councils, among others.

To ensure prompt approval, all CPO licencing applications must include the following: schematic drawings endorsed by a certified IR, location test form G&H, test charge documentation, and other requirements.

CariCarz.com contacted a couple of CPOs for confirmation and was informed that there were initially quite a few errors on the CPO's end regarding submission, which have since been corrected.

According to the CPOs we spoke with, ST confirmed that there are currently over 300 licences in pending status, waiting to be approved at various stages.

They also stated that ST has been actively engaging CPOs and is developing a new licence application web portal that will allow CPOs to not only key in details, but also make amendments directly, eliminating the need to treat resubmission cases as separate applications.

Let's hope that all of this development effort pays off soon, as it appears that the Minister of Investment, Trade, and Industry (MITI), Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz, is also questioning the initial 10,000 charger target goal, calling for a reevaluation.