In a move to accelerate the growth of its electric vehicle (EV) industry, Malaysia’s Ministry of Investment, Trade, and Industry (MITI) has proposed a one-time subsidy for EV ownership.
“It has been observed that this One-Time Subsidy can encourage people to switch from using internal combustion engine vehicles to EVs and further help the country reduce petrol subsidies for the long term,” said Deputy Investment, Trade, and Industry Minister Liew Chin Tong.
According to reports, the proposal was announced during the National EV Steering Committee (NEVSC) meeting,
The ambitious Low Carbon Mobility Blueprint 2021-2030, introduced in 2020, sets lofty targets for EV infrastructure expansion. By 2025, Malaysia aims to deploy 10,000 EV charging stations, comprising 9,000 Alternating Current (AC) chargers and 1,000 Direct Current (DC) chargers.
“In 2023, the annual sales volume of new Battery EVs (BEVs) in the country increased by over 400 per cent to 13,257 units compared to 3,127 units in 2022,” said Deputy Minister Liew.
As of December 31, 2023, Malaysia has 2,020 charging stations across 750 locations nationwide, with 1,591 AC units and 429 DC units.
Targets for DC Chargers
Mr. Liew revealed ongoing discussions about potentially revising the target for DC charging stations, stating, “Miti, together with related agencies, is studying and fine-tuning the need to increase the DC charging stations target. The outcome of the study will be debated in the NEVSC Meeting in the second quarter of this year.”
He also highlighted the government’s intention to streamline the process concerning EV charging fees.
“We have the intention to merge all applications for EV charging payments. But it requires the cooperation from charging point operators (CPOs), and the government is planning to hold discussions with the CPOs to create ‘interoperability’ with all companies,” he said.
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