Melaka Aims To House 350 EV Chargers By 2025 - Will CPOs Bite?

Melaka's state government is ambitiously planning to have no less than 350 electric vehicle charging bays (EVCBs) in the state by 2025 in accordance with the Town and Country Planning Department's (PLANMalaysia) guidelines.

Chief Minister Datuk Seri Utama Abdul Rauf Yusoh announced that Melaka currently has 118 EV chargers across 40 locations, primarily in urban areas. However at the time of writing, the MEVNet dashboard was not available to reconfirm this number. Nevertheless, we strongly believe this figure does not tally with the list released by the Energy Commission (ST).

He further added that the state government fully supports this initiative and commits to adhering to the planning guidelines for all EVCB setups in the state during the launch of the EV Charging Hub at Concept Hotel by EVPower Sdn Bhd.  The Melaka Green Technology Corporation (PTHM) has been tasked with playing a key role in driving green technology development in the state, ensuring prompt action.

Abdul Rauf also emphasised that the PTHM and EVPower’s initiatives would not only encourage low-carbon mobility adoption among Melaka residents, but would also benefit tourists from neighbouring countries such as Singapore.

To date Melaka has seen healthy growth of EV charging facilities as most major charging point operators (CPO) such as DC Handal, ChargeSini, Tesla and more have set-up their charging network presence in the historical state.

However, would CPOs buy into this vision and work towards achieving this target with the Melaka state government? This remains to be seen as it all depends on the speed of which, and if government agencies could expedite licensing and approving the EV Charging sites.

Meanwhile, CEO of PTHM, Mohd Hafizam Mustaffa, revealed plans to identify new locations for EVCBs in major townships including working with local authorities and charging point operators (CPO) to meet the 350 EVCB target by 2025.

"We prioritise safety considerations, particularly concerning high currents in DC chargers. With the increasing availability of affordable EVs and the expected rise in EV users, it's essential to ensure convenient charging facilities for visitors to Melaka," explained Mustaffa.