Zafrul: 10,000 EV Charger Target Indeed A Pipedream, Reevaluation Needed!

According to Bernama, The Ministry of Investment, Trade, and Industry (MITI) is set to reassess the target of having 10,000 operational electric vehicle (EV) charging stations across the country by 2025. This was confirmed by its Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz.

According to Tengku Zafrul, there are nearly 1,500 EV charging stations presently in operation - MEVnet reported the latest figure stands at 2,020 Charging Bays across 750 Charging Stations. This figure is significantly below the original goal outlined in the Low Carbon Mobility Development Plan 2021-2030.

Despite this, the government remains committed to uphold the initial target, with Tengku Zafrul and his cabinet colleagues planning a thorough review to determine the feasibility of meeting the goal.

Zafrul also acknowledged that the existing target appears to be ambitious, considering the multitude of issues that need addressing. These challenges involve complex processes and various agencies, such as the Energy Commission, local authorities, and other stakeholders, making it necessary to reevaluate said target’s viability.

Tengku Zafrul further highlighted the need to streamline charging station preparation procedures in response to complaints from companies involved in providing EV charging stations.

One major concern raised was the lengthy approval period to establish charging stations. The minister emphasised the importance of addressing these issues and focusing on creating a more efficient and expedited approval process to facilitate the realisation of the outlined targets in the Low Carbon Mobility Development Plan.

CariCarz.com has repeatedly raised this issue of late, the latest being earlier this week where we questioned the speed of licensing as some EV chargers have been pending licences since Nov 2023.

MITI had initially set up a National EV Task Force which was followed by the National EV Steering Committee to address and expedite all issues pertaining to EVs and its infrastructure. Somehow though, both the task force and steering committee has not managed to achieve its set target to date.