Fadillah: 4,000 EVCBs Targeted Ahead Of 2025 ASEAN Meetings

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof recently announced the government’s target to double the number of EV charging bays (EVCB) to 4,000 by next year, in support of the plan to use electric vehicles (EVs) as official transport for ASEAN programmes in 2025.

However, this statement highlights a common issue within the government: ministries and ministers often lack clarity when discussing EV infrastructure growth.

According to the government’s MEVNet dashboard, Malaysia currently has 3,171 EV charging bays, not stations as often misquoted by officials. The dashboard also lists 1,056 charging station locations. Despite this, Fadillah claimed there are “more than 2,000” existing EV charging stations, mainly in urban areas, which would be sufficient to support EV usage during the ASEAN meetings - events largely taking place in cities.

Fadillah also emphasised that promoting sustainability, particularly in the energy sector, includes boosting EV adoption. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim recently confirmed that as ASEAN chair next year, Malaysia will use EVs to transport heads of state and officials during ASEAN meetings.

Fadillah reiterated the government’s target of 10,000 EV charging stations nationwide by 2030, a goal outlined in the Low Carbon Mobility Blueprint (LCMB) 2021-2030. This often gets confused with the Ministry of International Trade and Industry’s (MITI) target, which sets a goal of 10,000 EV charging bays by the end of 2025, including 1,500 DC and 8,500 AC chargers.

Accelerating the installation of charging stations will require collaboration from both Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) and the private sector. However, as highlighted by Carz.com.my, private players often express frustration due to TNB’s inadequate power supply and government bureaucracy, despite the EV charger rollout being a key performance indicator (KPI) under government initiatives.

Fadillah further stated that transitioning Malaysia’s transportation and manufacturing sectors could help the country achieve its goal of 40% renewable energy in the national fuel mix by 2030, up from the current 20%. He stressed that EV growth must be balanced with ensuring electricity supply security, safety, and affordability.

Source: The STAR