During its question-and-answer session after its annual general meeting today, the Malaysian Automotive Association (MAA) revealed that 30 electric vehicles were sold in the country in February, against total vehicle sales of 43,722 units.
That seems like a tiny number in the grand scheme of things, but multiply that by 12 months and it will exceed the paltry 274 units that were sold here in 2021. With several models having already been launched since then – and plenty more to come over the course of the next two years – we can expect EV sales in the coming months to only grow from there.
President of MAA Datuk Aishah Ahmad said that demand has picked up “tremendously” since EVs became tax free this year, although she concedes that the numbers “are still very small.” She added that Malaysia’s charging infrastructure will have to be improved for there to be a meaningful take-up in electric cars.
“I think, going forward, we will see a lot more [EVs], especially when the infrastructure is ready to accept them. Right now, the problem is, in the west coast you have the ability to charge, especially with [DC fast chargers], but on the east coast as well as in Sabah and Sarawak, it’s not available.”
Earlier this month, we saw launch of the country’s first locally-assembled EV in the shape of the Volvo XC40 Recharge P8 AWD. Aishah said that many of MAA’s members are also planning to introduce CKD EVs in the future, but such initiatives take time. As such, the organisation has asked for an extension of the tax breaks.
“You cannot do CKD [local assembly] immediately – normally, to plan a model, you need four years,” she said. “So what we have requested the government is for them to consider extending the incentives for CBU [cars] for longer than the two-year period, to enable [companies] to do local assembly of EVs.”
Currently, the import tax, excise duty and road tax exemptions for CBU electric vehicles will only run until the end of 2023, after which the incentives will be limited to national and CKD models.
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Cheaper EV Cars from BYD, Geely, NIO, Xpeng, GWM, etc should HAVE been allowed into Malaysia. Hopefully … those between Rm 80k to RM 120 K segment of EV’s. However …. we have to DREAM hard …..
Are these Right Hand Driven? If not, no need to talk 2 talk 3 laa…
Hi , do u know that how many EV car has been sold in the month of march, April and May 2022?
…but Volvo can do it. P8 was launched less than 4 years ago
No need extension coz according to poorfags, EV are for the rich so no need give tax free or setup charging facilities like other countries are doing since haters cannot afford to buy EV, so no point to extend SST exemption mah!
Only the rich enjoy tax break????#$$€_#
All these stuffs only benefit the rich. And those b40? Left aside. Which b40 an afford an ev? Why not Tax the EV and the tax collected can be redirected to maintaining the fuel subsidy for all?
Should also request to lower road tax for EV…
Some have a strange mentality. If you can accept the inconvenience of spending 1 hour to recharge (that is, refuel) your EV, why do you have problem taking public transport when going outstation? Because the face gained from the EV will be all lost? Then you do not need public chargers all over the country. Because you need those chargers in your city? Come-on, you have money to buy a 80-200 k MYR car, but no money to buy a landed house…..? :) Plug a Tesla into your wall socket, even at 3 A current, it can be fully charged in 3 days. Considering my car is parked at home 5 days a week…
Or rent a car to go for travel as EV saving in maintenance is 2 times++ less Rm, better still with cheaper solar panels at home! All is waiting for China EVs!
Or rent a car to go for travel as EV saving in maintenance is 2 times++ less Rm, better still with cheaper solar panels at home! All is waiting for China EVs!
Rich people not like us,they have no problem pay petrol even high price,interest or not they still refuse to buy due to lack charging station and no one buy used dying ev car that battery part can cost you over half price car