LOKE : New EV Road Tax Structure & Special Registration Number Coming Soon!

YB Anthony Loke Siew Fook, Minister of Transport, reassured Malaysians during his remarks at the launch of the GWM Seremban 4S Centre that his ministry is on top of the issues that most Malaysians are concerned about when it comes to switching to electric vehicles (EV).

Key amongst them is with regards to EV’s road tax pricing structure. Although EV owners are exempted from paying road taxes till 2025, the actual EV road tax calculation prior to 2022 which is based on the vehicle motor (kW) would prove to be a major deterrent as it is not proportionate to its ICE counterpart.

To put it into context, the BYD Atto 3 SUV is Malaysia's most popular EV right now, according to the simple graphic above. Because the Atto 3 is powered by a 150kW motor, JPJ estimates that the effective roadtax for Atto 3 owners will be RM903. Now, any ICE SUV producing 150kW (201HP) and powered by a 2-Litre engine would only have to pay RM440 in road tax, while a more efficient 1.6-Litre turbocharged SUV would only have to pay RM120.

As a result, YB Loke promised Malaysians that a new EV road tax rate will be revealed by 2025 that would be competitive or lower than ICE vehicles, increasing its appeal among vehicle buyers. A proposal has been presented to the "National Electric Vehicle Steering Committee" (NEVSC), which met for the first time just a few days ago chaired by YB Senator Tengku Datuk Seri Utama Zafrul Aziz, Minister of Investment, Trade, and Industry (MITI).

Aside from that, YB Loke revealed all EV would soon be assigned its own unique registration prefix, ranging from "EV1" to "EV9999," after which it would evolve to EVA, EVB, and so on. The rationale for this is less about making EV ownership unique or special and more about safety. The EV registration plate would make it easier for rescue workers or fire personnel to identify the EV, allowing them to take the proper approach in putting out the fire or cutting the vehicle to obtain access in rescue efforts. RFID technology would be used on all EV licence plates. 

However, CariCarz.com does not believe this is a viable way because most users may already have a car registration number that they would like to transfer into their new EV. The number could mean something special to them or have some sentimental meaning. Therefore, YB Loke and his team must reconsider the entire concept in order to make EV ownership a seamless process. For starters, why not go with a simpler identification via the number plate background colour, perhaps using green instead of black for EVs? Well this is just a thought, we do assume the people we elected to run the government would have a "think-tank" full of automotive experts at their disposal. If not, why not enlist the assistance of Malaysian automotive media outlets?