As I see it | Malaysia’s plan to drive EV adoption requires infrastructure, not tax breaks for the rich

Interest in EVs is growing in Malaysia, but most buyers are wealthy early adopters able to tap on generous subsidies to purchase charging infrastructure

To encourage broader EV uptake, the government must ensure there are just as many charging points as there are petrol stations that serve millions of cars running on fossil fuels

Reading Time:3 minutes

Published: 10:30am, 28 Jul 2023

Some time last year, a friend who had just bought a new car said he did not consider purchasing an electric vehicle (EV) after witnessing his uncle’s experience driving out of town to attend said-friend’s wedding.

As weddings go, close family and friends involved in the preparations were inundated with last-minute issues ahead of the ceremony. The uncle, who worried he may forget what needed to be done, forgot the most important thing – to charge his car.

En route to the venue, he realised he barely had enough power to make the trip, never mind the drive back home where his charging station was set up. He could have turned around, but that meant he and everything he had to deliver would arrive long after the nuptials were done.

It really wouldn’t have been much of a problem if there was a public charging station nearby.

A charging station for EV in Selangor, Malaysia. The country’s government is focusing on the development of an EV ecosystem and has offered tax breaks to boost adoption, as part of its mission to meet net zero emission goals by 2050. Photo Bloomberg

Which brings us to the official entry of Tesla into the Malaysian market.

.css-1m2rp1p{color:#34b8b5;}As I see it | Malaysia’s plan to drive EV adoption requires infrastructure, not tax breaks for the rich

As I see it | Malaysia’s plan to drive EV adoption requires infrastructure, not tax breaks for the rich