Malaysia Aims to Grow EV Charging Infrastructure

Malaysian Green Technology plans to install 25,000 electric-vehicle charging stations throughout Malaysia by 2020.

Chief Executive Ahmad Hadri Haris says the government-owned company will start by building 300 stations in major cities at a cost of 3 million ringgit ($680,000).

“What we can do is install more charging stations and work with the ministries such as the Ministry of International Trade and Industry, Ministry of Energy, Green Technology and Water as well as government agencies such as the Malaysian Automotive Institute, with the goal to enable a lot more EVs on the road,” he says in a report posted on the Malaysia Automotive Institute website.

Ahmad Hadri commented after signing a memorandum of understanding with The New Motion to fast-track the rollout of charging stations. The Dutch manufacturer will focus on installing the stations in green buildings but is inviting any building owner to apply.

There are fewer than 100 EVs in Malaysia, but Ahmad Hadri says he’s confident the price will come down if there is more demand to offset the cost of importing the vehicles and building related infrastructure.

By the time the network is completed, GreenTech aims to have 100,000 EVs, 2,000 electric buses and 100,000 electric scooters and motorcycles on Malaysian roads.

The New Motion was chosen because of its market leadership in Europe where it has more than 18,000 charging stations. GreenTech will leverage The New Motion’s expertise to develop local manufacturing of charging hardware, related subindustries and components.

“We are excited by the potential that Malaysia and the ASEAN region have to offer in terms of electric mobility,” The New Motion founder Ritsaart van Montfrans says.

“By partnering with GreenTech Malaysia, we will be exploring every avenue within the country as well as our neighbors to truly kick-start the EV revolution in ASEAN.”