Malaysia had 5,624 charging bays as of Dec 31 last year, achieving only 56.24% of its target of 10,000 charging points.
KUALA LUMPUR: Ageing highway infrastructure is emerging as a challenge to electric vehicle (EV) adoption in Malaysia, particularly during festive periods such as Hari Raya when balik kampung traffic places significant pressure on major routes.
Long queues at charging stations in Tapah, Gambang, Gua Musang and Ayer Hitam during recent festive travel periods have highlighted growing strains within the country’s EV charging ecosystem as adoption continues to rise.
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According to the Malaysia Automotive, Robotics and IoT Institute (MARii), Malaysia had 5,624 charging bays as of Dec 31 last year, achieving only 56.24% of its target of 10,000 charging points.
Malaysia Electric Vehicle Owners Club president Datuk Shahrol Azral Ibrahim Halmi said the shortfall could be attributed to several factors, including commercial viability.
He added that DC fast chargers generally provide a faster return on investment than AC chargers, partly explaining why operators had exceeded deployment targets for DC charging infrastructure.
However, Shahrol said the arrival of more affordable and shorter-range EVs, such as the Proton e.MAS 5, had increased the urgency of expanding charging networks along major highways.
“The economic challenge is that highway charging demand is highly seasonal.
Utilisation spikes sharply during weekends and festive holidays but falls significantly on weekdays,” he told theSun.
He said the instability of demand, coupled with the high cost of upgrading grid connections, made highway charging infrastructure a financially risky investment for operators.
According to Shahrol, the perception of EVs as “second cars” may have applied to early adopters, but this was rapidly changing as households increasingly factored fuel subsidy rationalisation and future petrol prices into purchasing decisions.
To address the challenge of seasonal demand, he suggested Malaysia adopt models used in more mature EV markets, in which critical highway charging corridors receive partial government support to ensure adequate public charging infrastructure.
Shahrol also said the number of installed chargers alone does not accurately reflect infrastructure readiness.
“Many charging stations currently operate on shared power architecture, causing charging speeds to slow significantly when multiple vehicles are connected simultaneously.
“The moment a second or third vehicle plugs in, the available power drops dynamically, extending charging times, creating bottlenecks and frustrating users.”
He said the issue was particularly evident at highway rest and recreation (R&R) areas because the North-South Expressway was conceived in the 1970s and constructed in the 1980s, long before EV charging infrastructure existed.
“A modern high-speed EV charging hub requires a minimum power capacity of 1,000kVA, roughly equivalent to the electricity consumption of 50 single-storey shophouses.”
While several R&R locations have undergone upgrades, Shahrol said many continue to face power supply constraints. He added that charge point operators had turned to battery energy storage systems, but described the solution as expensive and difficult to sustain during periods of heavy traffic.
On proposals to mandate fire extinguishers in EVs, Shahrol said compact automotive extinguishers were generally ineffective against lithium-ion battery thermal runaway incidents.
“Mandating them could inadvertently encourage drivers to remain near a burning vehicle and attempt to fight a fire they are unable to contain.”
He stressed that the priority during EV battery fires should be immediate evacuation and professional emergency response due to the risk of highly toxic gases being released.
However, Road Safety Association of Penang chairman Rafiq Michael Abdullah said newer firefighting technologies, including some developed in South Korea, could still play a useful role.
“These newer extinguishers are designed to withstand high temperatures inside vehicles and can help suppress small fires quickly before they spread.”
While such devices may not completely stop thermal runaway events, they could provide valuable time for occupants to evacuate safely or contain secondary fires in their early stages.
Recent battery-related fire incidents involving Volvo’s EX30 electric SUV in Thailand have also drawn attention within the EV community.
Thailand’s Office of Consumer Protection Board said it would file civil suits seeking damages and refunds after discussions between affected customers and Volvo failed to reach a resolution.
Reuters reported that Volvo had previously advised EX30 owners not to charge their vehicles beyond 70% as a temporary measure while the company addressed battery module defects linked to overheating risks.
The incidents have heightened discussions among Malaysian EV owners as local adoption increases, particularly over vehicle safety and emergency response preparedness.
