EV charging stations expected to double to 4,000 by next year; 10,000 still the target by end-2025

Subsequent to prime minister Anwar Ibrahim’s assertion on Monday that ASEAN leaders and heads of state will only be ferried in electric vehicles during Malaysia’s chairmanship of the regional association next year, deputy prime minister Fadillah Yusof said that the number of EV charging stations in the country is expected to double to 4,000 by 2025 to support the move.

According to The Star, Fadillah said that the existing number of over 2,000 stations – primarily located in city centres – is already sufficient to supply electricity to official vehicles for ASEAN meetings, which will also be held in cities.

This focus on the energy sector, including EVs, is one approach to achieve sustainability, Fadillah added. “The plan now is to promote more EVs, and one step is to increase the number of charging stations. Our target is to have 10,000 stations nationwide by 2030, along with providing incentives for EV ownership.

EV charging stations expected to double to 4,000 by next year; 10,000 still the target by end-2025

“This is beneficial for the environment as it reduces carbon emissions from the transportation sector, and EVs are one of the approaches that the government is focusing on,” he said, adding that the acceleration of charging station installation would require the involvement from not only Tenaga Nasional (TNB) but also the private sector.

Fadillah’s data is slightly out of step with that of minister of investment, trade and industry (MITI) Tengku Zafrul Aziz, who just last week claimed that Malaysia already had 3,171 charging stations (813 DC, 2,358 AC) as of September 30, compared to 2,585 in June. As such, the target of 4,000 stations by the time 2025 rolls along in just over 60 days time is certainly doable.

EV charging stations expected to double to 4,000 by next year; 10,000 still the target by end-2025

The more ambitious target is to have 10,000 chargers, consisting of 1,500 DC and 8,500 AC chargers, by the end of 2025. This was outlined in 2021 under the Low Carbon Mobility Blueprint (LCMB) 2021-2030 – a promise that Zafrul fully intends to keep. It’s also five years ahead of the target that Fadillah himself mentioned earlier.

Fadillah said the transition of the transportation and manufacturing sectors could help Malaysia achieve the target of increasing the proportion of renewable energy in the national fuel mix to 40% by 2030, up from 20% currently. He continued, saying that efforts to increase the usage of EVs must balance electricity supply, safety and affordability.

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