Malaysia has 5,360 public EV chargers as of end-Nov, well off 10k 2025 target – 8k AC target now by Q3 2026

The Energy Commission (ST) of Malaysia has announced that it has issued licences for 5,360 public EV chargers as of November 31, inclusive of 3,569 AC chargers and 1,791 DC fast chargers. This is way off the government’s target of 10,000 chargers installed by the end of the year, as outlined in the Low Carbon Mobility Blueprint (LCMB) 2021–2030.

As previously reported, the shortfall comes down to flagging rates of AC charger installs. In fact, the expansion of the DC fast charger network is actually progressing faster than expected, surpassing the 1,500-unit target that was already revised upwards from 1,000 units last year. According to ST’s deputy director of electricity leasing Mohd Yusrul bin Yusof, this shortfall is because the demand for AC chargers is low.

The Malaysia Zero Emission Vehicle Association (MyZEVA), a non-government organisation of industry players that include Tenaga Nasional (TNB), had already estimated last year that the 8,500-unit target for AC chargers would only be met by the third quarter of 2026.

Back then, there were 2,398 public AC chargers installed, so there have only been an additional 1,171 chargers that have been licenced since, at a rate of just over 100 chargers a month. To meet the target of 10,000 chargers by the new Q3 deadline, there would need to be over 600 chargers installed monthly over the next seven months, which is quite the tall order.

The good news is that ST has already streamlined the process of issuing its Electric Vehicle Charging System (EVCS) licences – from the usual 60 days, the commission now promises approvals within 30 days, and it says that on the ground, approvals take closer to two weeks. This should help boost the expansion of the charging network as it pivots towards DC chargers, although the high cost of the latter will still put a damper on things.

Separately, TNB’s Electron charge point operator (CPO) arm has announced that it plans to open up the DC chargers at the utility’s Bangsar headquarters to the public. The three 60 kW chargers are currently used to charge TNB’s internal fleet coming in from Jalan Bangsar and will join several AC chargers already open to paying customers at its underground parking.

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