Opinion: EV Charging Network Upkeep Still Lacks Far Behind Its Growth!

The National Automotive Policy, or NAP 2020, and the Low Carbon Mobility Blueprint outline the Government's direction in the development of the nation's EV industry in order to attract EV investments and meet the national target of 15% total industry volume (TIV) for EV and hybrid by 2030, and 38% TIV by 2040.

The target for charging infrastructure is to have 10,000 public charging stations by 2025. This is the motto that the Malaysian administration has been singing recently, and it is something that many of us are looking forward to.

However, as the title suggests, we are here to discuss the upkeep and functionality of the existing charging stations rather than the (slow) growth of the public charging network. CPOs should at all times assume responsibility in keeping all their charging facilities operational comparable to any typical "petrol stations" that most ICE users are accustomed to. You'd never see a petrol station in disrepair, would you?

We recently got the opportunity to put the Ioniq 6 Max RWD through its paces in  an unscheduled trip to Ipoh, travelling via coastal backroads to simulate real-world usage. Hyundai claims a 614 KM WLTP driving range on the Ioniq 6 if driven optimally, which we do not plan to do as the aim is not to hypermile but rather enjoy the drive and look at charging options when the time comes.

We left Seri Kembangan with 99% state of charge (SOC) and arrived in Ipoh with roughly 40% SOC after driving for hours down the coastal roads, stopping for photos at Kellie’s Castle, Bagan Datuk Bridge, and other locations. We chose to return via the North South Highway after a brief stop in Ipoh for lunch and shopping.

We discovered on the Plugshare App that the best bet would be Tapah Southbound R&R because the Ulu Bernam AC charging station was under maintenance, and we all know how slow AC charging is. So we headed to the Shell Recharge DC Charging facility in Tapah R&R for a fast recharge.

Unfortunately, when we arrived at Tapah R&R with 20% SOC remaining, we discovered that the Shell Recharge facility was experiencing some type of glitch, the ParkEasy App indicated that both parking bays were reserved and the parking barriers were down. It did specify that the reservation would only be held for 10 minutes. However, after a good 20 minutes of waiting at Shell Recharge, we decided to ditch our DC charging plans and just settle for the slower AC charge by charEV at the same rest area.

However, one of the two chargEV bays was occupied by a plug-in Hybrid that appeared to be connected but not charging (excellent way to snag a premium parking bay at the crowded rest area), and the other charger was not operational according to the chargEV App. We had no choice but to continue waiting till the single AC charger became available. Thankfully, the AC charger was operational, and after 2 hours of charging, we gained 19% extra SOC allowing us to chase the sunset back to the Gentari Bangi Golf Resort DC Charging station.

Now, based on this experience, we can confidently state that EV travel for the time being is still ideal for city use, particularly in Klang Valley, where home charging, public AC and DC chargers are commonly available. However, for outstation journeys, on the other hand, EV users must plan their journey ahead of time and include the essential stops to ensure a range-anxiety-free travel. You should also never be in a rush as charging would take time especially if AC chargers are your only option available.

We also highly question the decision to install AC Chargers along the highways. Highway users would surely prefer a quick top-up rather than spending hours at the rest area wasting valuable time waiting for sure.

Meanwhile with regards to the charging facility, CPOs should not only focus on increasing the number of charging facilities, but also in ensuring that their existing facilities are in proper working order and well-maintained. CPOs should also start looking into the upkeep and cleanliness of their facilities. As you can see from the pictures the only AC charger we were able to use was soiled with bird faeces.