Local Council & Other Rules Hinder EV Adoption Amongst High-Rise Dwellers!

A provision on page 17 of PLANMalaysia's EV Charging Bay Guideline (GPP EVCB) indicates unequivocally that the Public Usage EVCB is designed for usage by the general public and includes CPO services.

However, is the above-mentioned provision implemented in its totality in real-world application? Personally, I would have liked to believe so, but in actuality based on reports we have gathered it would seem that what was printed and what is expected diverge from context in more ways than one.

EV owners who live in high-rise condos and apartments frequently take turns to charge their EVs at night at their “restricted shared private” charger. This, more importantly, reduces the strain on the nation's electric system, as this is frequently the time when the grid requires the least amount of electricity.

However, we have recently received news that many of these high-rises have ceased CPO AC Charger installation just because the new standards and procedures the government has implemented for EV charger installation are significantly more complex, time-consuming and costly.

Under the new criteria, all EV charger installations, with the exception of those at landed residences, are handled equally, with each of them requiring Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) clearance and a meter. To obtain clearance from TNB, the EV charging station first needs to be approved by the Energy Commission (ST) and the local council (PBT).

First and foremost, we can't understand why “restricted shared private” EV chargers in a condominium are treated the same as public ones in an open place. For starters, EV chargers in condos, which mostly are of the AC kind, are solely accessible only to the tenants and their registered guests as compared to public chargers which are accessible to everyone.

As a result of this miss-clasification, all additional regulatory requirements and costs of installing EV chargers at condominiums comes illogically into picture, especially for CPOs, who are usually footing the bill in the hopes of recouping their investment 5 to 10 years down the road as more residents adopt electrification. Due to this hiccup, many CPO are now shying away from setting up their facility in condominiums as user numbers are just too limited.

And then, there’s the cost and procedural issues. On average, the cost for two AC chargers inclusive of the installation fees would cost about RM30,000. On top of that, CPOs also need to apply for the new PBT requirements for Location Plans, Site Plans, Floor Plans, Elevation and Section Plans, Structure Plans and Structure Counts, and Detail Plans – all of which must be drawn out by a certified consultant and engineer that could cost up to RM5,000.

In addition, there is a yearly PBT licensing charge, which is computed by the number of bays (per parking bay (2.5 x 6)m2 / 9 x RM50), plus a processing fee of RM250. On top of all those things mentioned, CPOs would also be required to pay an annual RM100 fee for ST licensing charges. After going through all of these procedures and incurred all the costs, CPOs can finally apply for a TNB metre connection for the area, which will be charged based on the amperage required which can range from RM1,700 (60A) to RM8,100 (300A).

Also important to note that this still does not include the ridiculously high deposit imposed by TNB for the metre connection. To put into perspective, a simple installation of two EVCB with a 44kW load declaration would have to pledge a deposit of RM10,600 for just that one site.

As previously stated, EV chargers at condominiums are NOT public chargers and are typically installed in the visitors parking area EXCLUSIVELY for residents. As a result, with such a hefty upfront cost, CPOs would be unable to justify the installation of these charging stations.

Most condos now have extremely few to no inhabitants with EVs, therefore charging does not occur on a regular basis. Furthermore, with these communal chargers, absolute efficiency is attained as opposed to each owner installing their own charging wall box at their individual parking space, with CPOs acting solely as an intermediate.

Furthermore, GPP EVCB stated on Page 30 of Schedule 12 that PBT clearance is only required for projects that require a compact substation (to boost power supply to that region). There is no mention of whether the EV charging project requires the development of a tiny substation, which most condominiums would not need as they have adequate power reserves.

To sum it up, we’d reckon it is better for condominiums to be exempted from PBT approval and treated similarly as private landed home chargers in order to speed up processes and save costs, or at the very least, to incentivize condominiums and CPOs to HELP the government accomplish the 10,000 EVCBs by 2025 target.

To put things into perspective there are roughly 1.4 million condominium units just in Klang Valley, Johor Bahru and Penang. Just imagine if every building has at least 2 units of the AC charging stations…EV adoption would be alot more appealing to the masses.