TNB Electron Rollout Resumes: Strategic Partnerships with Petron & Aeon

Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) has finally begun rolling out its charging stations after a long hiatus. Last year, TNB announced its ambition to electrify 66 locations with its TNB Electron brand of charging stations.

For those unfamiliar, TNB, Malaysia's sole national utility provider, has a significant interest in the charging point provider (CPO) space as part of its diversification strategy.

The latest TNB Electron charging station is located at Petron Selising in Pasir Puteh, Kelantan. This station features a single cabinet 100 kW DC Charger equipped with a dual-nozzle setup, capable of delivering a dynamic output of 50 kW per nozzle when both are plugged in.

To use the TNB Electron station, users must first download the Go-To-U 3rd-party mobile app. Charging at this location is priced at RM1.50/kWh, which aligns with the unofficial rate adopted by many CPOs. This stations is also equipped with EV Fire Blankets as required by Bomba. 

TNB’s future plans, according to a company source, aims to establish one TNB Electron charging station every 100 KM. However, unlike the 2023 announcement to install 66 charging stations by the end of 2025, no specific target number has been provided this year.

Instead, TNB is focusing on expanding its Electron network through strategic partnerships with companies like Petron and Aeon. Based on the Go-To-U app, this is the second Petron station in the East Coast to feature a TNB Electron station, with the first located at Petron Kg. Gemuroh in Kuala Terengganu.

There’s no confirmation yet on whether more Petron stations nationwide will adopt TNB Electron DC chargers, but it's likely given that Petron lacks an in-house electrification arm, unlike competitors Petronas (Gentari) and Shell (Shell Recharge).

As for Aeon, TNB has rolled out four Electron stations: one at Aeon Big Wangsa Maju in Klang Valley, and three in Perak at Aeon Mall Seri Manjung, Aeon Mall Kinta City, and Aeon Mall Taiping. The focus will now shift to Aeon Mall locations in Johor and Penang.

The Bigger Picture:

While EV users, particularly those in the East Coast, will appreciate this late-year push for aggressive expansion, a key question remains: Is it fair for TNB, the sole utility provider, to compete against other CPOs who still depend on TNB for their energy supply?

Furthermore, no spokesperson from TNB has yet addressed comments made by ChargEV’s COO, Puvanendren Maniam where he stated that CPOs are expected to pay approximately RM300,000 as a “contribution fee” just to set up a compact substation for a 600 kW charging station, which would ultimately be owned by TNB.