MBPJ, EVC & Carput Zap Eyes 1,000 EV Chargers by 2030

Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) is charging ahead albeit at its own pace towards a greener, low-carbon future.

In a recent move to expand the city’s EV infrastructure, MBPJ signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with EV Connection Sdn Bhd and Carput Zap Network Sdn Bhd, two key players in Malaysia’s electric mobility space.

The goal? To roll out 1,000 EV chargers across Petaling Jaya by 2030, starting with 500 units under the first phase.

While the initiative is a step in the right direction, the extended timeline raises an obvious question - why wait until 2030 when the national target of installing 10,000 public EV chargers by the end of 2025.

With just over a year to go, are we now seeing a quiet recalibration of that goal? When local councils like MBPJ start setting longer-term, more modest targets, it may be a sign that the original nationwide target is no longer realistic.

It's not an isolated case either. Late last year, the Melaka state government revised its own EV charging station plan, trimming the target from 350 chargers by 2025 to just 300 by 2027.

Despite the slower timeline, MBPJ’s efforts are still meaningful. The MoU signing, held on June 26 at MBPJ headquarters, kicks off the council’s Green Mobility Partnership, aimed at supporting Malaysia’s transition to low-carbon mobility and achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.

Petaling Jaya Mayor Mohamad Zahri Samingon said the initiative reflects the council’s commitment to modern, sustainable urban development. He highlighted that MBPJ is working with reliable partners to deploy safe, efficient and user-friendly charging infrastructure, in line with the growing demand for EV access in the Klang Valley.

EV Connection, the operator behind JomCharge, and Carput Zap will lead the installations through a public-private partnership model.

“Petaling Jaya is a key urban hub, and we are proud to work with MBPJ in bringing accessible and reliable EV charging facilities to the community,” said Ir. Lee Yuen How, Managing Director of EV Connection. “This partnership reinforces our shared vision for a greener and more connected future.”

The phased rollout will focus on strategic locations including government buildings, sports complexes, public car parks and high-traffic areas throughout the city.

MBPJ says the initiative isn’t just about infrastructure, it’s about driving long-term transformation and positioning Petaling Jaya as a model for sustainable city living. 

But with the city’s charger goal now stretched over five years beyond the national timeline, it does prompt a broader question: Is Malaysia’s 2025 EV vision being quietly rewritten from the ground up?