Proton e.MAS Coming In Dec, Is Malaysia Ready For Mass EV Adoption?

Proton recently announced its entry into the electrified vehicle space with a grand unveiling ceremony, introducing the e.MAS brand for its future EVs. This exciting development includes the upcoming release of the first model, a rebadged RHD Geely Galaxy E5, set to arrive by the end of this year.

Notably, this launch is occurring a full year ahead of the timeline set by MITI, which ends in Dec 2025 when the RM100,000 floor price will be removed. This is expected to open the market to more affordable foreign-made, particularly Chinese, EVs to flood the market.

Perodua, the country’s largest auto manufacturer by sales volume, is also making strides in the EV space. At the recent Malaysia Autoshow 2024, Perodua showcased a working prototype of its own ground-up EV development.

The crucial question remains: is Malaysia ready for this sudden influx of EVs, which could happen as early as the end of this year?

Despite the enthusiasm, there are concerns about the readiness of the entire ecosystem and its growth rate. We often questioned various relevant agencies, such as the Energy Commission (ST), Tenaga Nasional (TNB), and Bomba, about the rules and red tape imposed on charge point operators (CPOs). These regulations, especially at such an early stage, have somewhat extinguished the initial speed of EV charger rollouts in 2023.

Data recently shared by the Malaysian Green Technology and Climate Change Corporation (MGTC) in a closed forum show only 268 charging points were added in the first quarter of 2024, compared to 5,110 EVs sold (a ratio of 1:20). This is significantly below the ideal ratio of 1:6 to 1:8 that MGTC recommends.

Last year, which we consider the golden age for EV charger rollout and EV sales locally, saw the number of EV charging points surge from 707 in 2022 to 2,020 to support 57,927 EVs.

MGTC forecasts that by the end of this year, there will be only 3,063 EV chargers, and by 2025, the number of charging points is predicted to reach just 4,644, far short of the government’s target of 10,000.

Meanwhile, the number of EVs is expected to grow conservatively to 71,708 by the end of this year and 88,768 by the end of 2025. This means the projected 4,644 charging points will be insufficient to meet the needs of 88,768 EVs (1:20 ratio still).

Therefore, while the introduction of Proton's e.MAS and other new EVs is promising, Malaysia's EV infrastructure must rapidly expand to support this growth. The current pace of charger rollout is inadequate to meet future demands, and addressing these infrastructure challenges is crucial for sustaining the EV market’s momentum.

On a regulatory stand point, the "right-to-charge" law should also come into picture which would in some ways force residential highrise buildings management to look at ways to provide charging facilities for its residents should there be a need instead of just saying no. 

Perhaps it is high time for the government, affiliate agencies, local councils (PBT) and TNB, to simplify the charger rollout process, especially considering the high extra expenditure to meet their requirements. These funds could, in actual fact, be used to double the EV charger rollout which is what the community needs.

Additionally, we have still not heard of any “special” incentives or funding offered by the government to CPOs to increase the number of chargers. Isn't it high time they did that, since they are technically taking credit for the numbers of charging points rolled out as part of their KPI? - Remember we are still short off 7,712 public chargers, meaning 385 EV chargers must be installed each month for the next 20 months to reach this goal.