1 In Every 13 New Cars Is Now Electric: Malaysia’s EV Market Skyrockets In April 2026

It’s official: Malaysia’s EV revolution is no longer just a trend, it’s a record-breaking reality. New figures from data.gov.my reveal that EV registrations in April 2026 have spiked by over 100% year-on-year.

Between a wave of exciting new model launches and the tightening grip of fuel subsidy changes, the data shows that Malaysians are pivoting to electric at an unprecedented rate.

A Record-Breaking Month at the Pumps

In April 2026, a total of 5,894 EVs were registered in Malaysia. This marks a staggering 103.8% year-on-year increase from the 2,892 units recorded in April 2025.

While the overall car market (Total Industry Volume) saw a healthy 19.4% growth to 77,819 units, EVs are clearly the star performers. EVs now command approximately 7.6% of the total market share. In simple terms: roughly one in every 13 new vehicles hitting Malaysian roads today is fully electric.

The momentum is even more evident when looking at the first four months of the year. Between January and April 2026, total EV registrations reached 20,485 units, a 110.8% surge compared to the same period last year.

The ‘e.MAS’ Effect: Proton Is Crushing The Competition

The national carmaker has firmly seized the crown in the EV segment. In April alone, Proton recorded 2,408 EV registrations, largely fueled by the massive success of the e.MAS sub-brand.

When it comes to individual model performance for April 2026, the Proton e.MAS 5 has solidified its status as the undisputed king of the road with a massive 1,772 units registered.

This dominant lead is followed by the BYD Atto 3, which secured the second spot with 778 units. Rounding out the top five are the Proton e.MAS 7 with 636 units, the Chery iCaur V23 with 365 units, and the Zeekr 7X, which rounds out the leaderboard with 303 registrations for the month.

At the brand level, Proton leads by a wide margin, followed by BYD in second place (1,413 units) and Chery in third (562 units). 

Petrol Is Sliding While Hybrids Skyrocket

The shift isn't just toward pure EVs. Hybrid (petrol) vehicles saw a sharp 117.7% increase in April registrations, spearheaded by the Proton e.MAS 7 PHEV (1,013 units).

Meanwhile, traditional engines are feeling the squeeze. Petrol vehicle registrations have dipped 2.8% year-to-date, but the real victim is diesel. Following subsidy removals, diesel registrations have plummeted by 76.5% YTD, signaling a rapid exit from oil-burner dependency for private car owners.

Future Outlook: Can Local Production Keep Up?

While the "Middle East crisis" and rising fuel costs are pushing Malaysians toward electric, new policy hurdles are appearing. MITI’s latest CBU EV rules have raised the floor price for imported EVs to over RM300,000, effectively making many popular imported models significantly more expensive.

This puts the spotlight squarely on local production. With Proton’s Tanjung Malim plant rated for 20,000 units annually, and other players scrambling to ramp up CKD (local assembly) operations, the race is on.

If current trends hold, Malaysia could see total EV registrations hit 80,000 units by the end of 2026. The question remains: will the T20 "fuel squeeze" and the 200L RON95 quota be the final push that makes the combustion engine a thing of the past?

Read: EV King is Here: How Proton e.MAS 5 Dethroned Popular Petrol Cars in 60 Days