More DCFCs Needed on Highways – MITI To Seek Concession Company Assistance!

Here we go again, with more announcements of ambitions while the current goal remains far from being met. Why are we saying that?

Recently, Deputy Minister of Investment, Trade, and Industry (MITI) YB Liew Chin Tong revealed that MITI, MARii, and MGTC are reviewing the feasibility of increasing the target number of DC chargers with a proposal to reassess the current goal of 10,000 EV chargers.

According to Liew, the government's reevaluation will prioritise the installation of DC charging stations to alleviate the general public's concerns about range anxiety among EV users on long journeys. The findings of this study will then be presented during the second quarter of 2024 at the National EV Steering Committee meeting.

Furthermore, Liew announced that in order to achieve this goal, the government will facilitate a collaborative effort between a concession company and Tenaga Nasional Bhd. (TNB). This begs the question: which concession company would be knowledgeable in this field to work on this? And why do we need a concession company when TNB already has experience rolling out DC chargers through their TNBX subsidiary?

Even if we exclude TNBX, TNB has collaborated with a number of other CPOs, including Gentari, Jomcharge, and ChargEV, to ensure that adequate power is provided for the operation of these CPOs' DC chargers.

Liew also stated that the Malaysian Highway Authority will assist in expediting the approval process for these charging stations. This would surely help, as more locations, especially some away from the lay-bys, would help mitigate congestion, especially during peak travel periods.

As of January 1, 2024, there were 2,020 EV charging bays (EVCB) across the country, including 429 DC-type bays and 1,591 alternating current bays. The MEVNet dashboard has not been updated with the most recent numbers, but according to the third-party dashboard AGMO, the number is 4,019 EVCB, 771 of which are DC.

UPDATE (14/3/2024)