Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof announced, we’ve just hit over 4,100 charging points across the country, and honestly, that’s not bad at all.

He shared this news at the recent International Conference on Chemical and Energy Engineering. The guy seems pretty confident that we’re on track to become the regional EV hub, and frankly, the numbers back him up.

We’re Getting There, Slowly but Surely

Malaysia wants to have 10,000 charging stations by the end of this year. Right now, we’re at about 41% of that target with our 4,100 charging points. Not too shabby, considering we’re still in the early stages.

Fadillah mentioned this target back in May when he was chatting with Malaysians in Thailand. His whole vision is to make Malaysia the go-to place for EV production and innovation in Southeast Asia. And you know what? That doesn’t sound like a bad plan.

“We want 10,000 charging stations everywhere – Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah, Sarawak, the whole shebang,” he said during his Bangkok visit.

The Real Challenge: Fast Charging

People don’t just want any charger – they want the fast DC chargers, not those slow AC ones. Nobody wants to wait around for hours just to charge their car.

Fadillah knows this is an issue. That’s why the government is working with Petronas and other big players to sort this out. They’re making sure we get proper charging spots along highways, in kampungs, and basically everywhere you might need to top up your battery.

The plan is simple: better infrastructure means more people will buy EVs, which attracts more investors. It’s like a cycle that keeps feeding itself (in theory lah).

Part of the Bigger Picture

This whole EV charging expansion isn’t just happening in isolation. It’s actually part of Malaysia’s National Energy Transition Roadmap, which is our game plan to hit Net Zero by 2050.

The roadmap covers six main areas: making things more energy efficient, renewable energy, bioenergy, hydrogen, green mobility (that’s where EVs come in), and carbon capture. Pretty comprehensive stuff.

What’s cool is that we’re not just talking about reducing emissions. We’re positioning ourselves as the regional leader in green transport. That’s some serious forward thinking.

Going Green All the Way

Now, you might be thinking: what’s the point of EVs if our electricity still comes from fossil fuels? Fair question. That’s why Malaysia wants 70% of our power to come from renewable sources by 2050.

We’re already working on this. There are big building retrofits happening, better efficiency standards for appliances, and we’re moving from B10 to B20 biodiesel in transport.

“These aren’t just ideas on paper. You can actually see this progress happening,” Fadillah pointed out. And he’s right – when you look around, you can see the changes taking place.

The Hydrogen Bonus

While we’re at it, Malaysia is also getting into hydrogen in a big way. Our Hydrogen Economy and Technology Roadmap could bring in over RM400 billion in revenue and create 200,000 jobs by 2050. That’s serious money and serious opportunities.

We’ve got pilot projects running already. TNB is testing ammonia co-combustion at their facilities with up to 60% blending ratios. Plus, there’s the Climate Change Bill and Carbon Capture legislation coming up to support all this.

The Distribution Problem

Let me be real about the challenges. Most of our charging stations are on the West Coast, especially in KL and other urban areas. The East Coast and East Malaysia? They’ve got less than 10% of the charging facilities, even though they house over 30% of our population.

That’s not exactly fair, is it? And compared to countries like Norway and Denmark, we’re still way behind. They have 44 and 65 charging stations per 100,000 people respectively. We’ve got fewer than 10.

Training the Next Generation

The good news is we’re not just building infrastructure. We’re training people too. TNB just opened their first EV charging station at Sultan Azlan Shah Polytechnic in July. It’s got a dual-nozzle 120kW fast charger that works 24/7.

This ties into our plan to boost technical education in green technology. If we’re going to be the regional EV hub, we need people who know how to build, maintain, and innovate in this space.

Can Hit 10k or Not?

The journey to 10,000 charging stations by end of 2025 might seem ambitious, but with over 4,100 already up and running, we’re definitely on the right track.

FAQ

Q: How many EV charging points does Malaysia have right now? A: We’ve got over 4,100 charging points nationwide as of now. That’s about 41% of our target to have 10,000 by the end of 2025.

Q: How does Malaysia compare to other countries in EV infrastructure? A: Honestly, we’re still catching up. Countries like Norway and Denmark have 44-65 charging stations per 100,000 people. We have fewer than 10. But we’re building fast.

Q: Will there be job opportunities in the EV sector? A: Definitely. Between the EV push and hydrogen economy plans, Malaysia could create 200,000 new jobs by 2050. Plus, polytechnics like PSAS are already training people in EV technology.

Source: Bernama Biz