Malaysia wants 30,000 electric vehicle charging points by 2030. But before more DC fast chargers can appear in smaller towns and highway stops, many sites first need enough power supply behind them.
Deputy Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Sim Tze Tzin told the Dewan Rakyat that the government was working with Tenaga Nasional Bhd and other stakeholders to provide the substations needed for DC fast charging.
A fast charger is not just a box beside a parking bay. Without sufficient grid capacity, it cannot deliver the power EV drivers expect.
Sim was responding to Kubang Pasu MP Datuk Dr Ku Abdul Rahman Ku Ismail, who raised concerns over weak EV charging coverage outside major urban centres.
Ku said Malaysia had to speed up charger deployment beyond the Klang Valley and larger towns. He cited a case in Sungai Petani, where a friend driving an electric BMW could not find a workable charging option and ended up taking a Grab back to Penang.
For EV buyers, that is exactly the kind of trip they want to avoid. Home charging can cover daily use, but public fast charging is what makes an outstation drive workable. If one charger is down and the next usable unit is far away, the trip quickly becomes a problem.
Ku urged EV manufacturers to play a bigger role in building charging stations, citing Tesla’s overseas network as an example.
He also said agencies such as the Public Works Department and the Housing and Local Government Ministry should be involved, especially in bringing chargers to housing developments, apartments and condominiums.
Sim said the government recognised the shortage, and was discussing incentives for charging point operators to encourage more investment.
That investment cannot stop at the charger itself. Malls, highway stops and petrol stations may have the space, but DC fast charging still needs enough grid capacity to support several cars charging at once.
Malaysia can bring in cheaper EVs and build more models locally, but buyers will still ask the same question before an outstation trip: will the fast charger work when they need it?
