As Malaysia’s EV sector continues to expand, it is essential that supporting infrastructure and services develop in parallel. To address this, the Town and Country Planning Department (PLANMalaysia), under the Ministry of Housing and Local Government, is in the process of developing a unified mobile application for EV charging.
The primary aim of this app is to ease the burden on EV users by allowing them to locate charging stations, activate charging sessions, and make payments seamlessly, regardless of the platform or network. “A single app may involve integrating various app interfaces, ensuring that they can communicate seamlessly and that users can access all charging stations regardless of the network,” PLANMalysia said.
However, achieving this goal presents significant challenges. One of the key difficulties, according to PLANMalaysia, is ensuring the availability of real-time and accurate data on charging stations across the country.
“Any discrepancy in data can frustrate users and undermine trust in the system,” it added. “As such, the ability to integrate real-time data feeds from each provider and ensure information is updated accurately is essential.”
With the government setting a target of establishing 10,000 EV charging stations nationwide, such an app would become an invaluable tool for EV users. PLANMalaysia also revealed that, as of December 2024, there are 3,611 charging stations in operation across the country.
EV vehicles are rapidly blending into the Malaysian lifestyle. The Statistics Department revealed that total of 42,452 EVs were registered between 2018 and February 2025 and the registrations in January and February this year saw a 58.5% increase compared to the same period in 2024. With the numbers rising rapidly, the government is also responsible in making sure that there are enough infrastructures and services to support these numbers.
On the other side, Miti Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz said the government will try its best to keep EV charging rates at a reasonable level, even if there was any hike in electricity tariffs later this year. He said the Cabinet had yet to make a decision on the tariff issue.
“There is a formula (when it comes to certain sectors) and we can always overrule the formula,” he said. In the current times, charging an EV would cost in between 60sen per kilowatt-hour (kWh) up to RM1.80/kWh depending on the CPO
(Source: The Star)
