According to the Deloitte Global Automotive Consumer Study last year, what consumers in Malaysia are most concerned about when it comes to electric vehicles (EV) is not the charging time, driving range, safety, or high prices.
In an exclusive interview, a Tenaga Nasional Berhad representative told theSun that what worries Malaysians the most when it comes to EVs is the lack of infrastructure.
As of May this year, there are approximately 1,014 EVs on Malaysian roads and currently, there are only 707 charging stations. The ratio of charging stations to EVs is relatively high, but consider the location and distribution of these chargers.
The government has a goal of having 10,000 public charging stations to support 50,000 Evs by 2025. But, although it has provided incentives for EV buyers in the form of exemptions and further rebates if they install a charger at home, there are none for public charging station operators.
To address the issue TNB has met up with Proton and Perodua.
TNB said that Proton was keen on installing EV chargers at their showrooms and factories while selling home charger kits to their customers while Perodua is looking into how to support the national carbon reduction target.
As consumers think of charging EVs the same way we think about charging our smartphones, we want to charge them at home, we want to charge them at work, and we want to charge them at our destination.
This is perhaps where TNB missed the mark when it told theSun that “only high-rise apartment users need to use chargers at work or in public places such as malls.”
Can you imagine having to go to a mall, a car showroom, a factory, or a public space, and having to wait for your EV to charge just because you live in an apartment without charging infrastructure?
EV charging infrastructure in apartments needs to be addressed as well if EVs were to be more than just for the rich and those with landed homes.
