In 2021, Selangor outlined plans to have 1,000 electric vehicle (EV) charging stations in place across the state by 2022. After a lengthy period of silence, this was later shifted to the end of 2023, but the actual number of chargers in operation at present is still well short of that target, with just 681 charging stations in place three months into 2024.
This has prompted the state government to revise the timeframe yet again, this time to 2025. The new target was revealed by Selangor public health and environment committee chairman Jamaliah Jamaluddin during the state assembly sitting, the Malay Mail reports.
“According to Selangor state government records, EV charging stations that have been built involving the government and the private sector are 681 units so far. The Selangor state government is encouraging the use of EVs with a target of providing 1,000 charging bays by 2025,” she said in reply to Taman Medan assemblyman Dr Afif Bahardin’s question regarding the use of EVs in the state.
Speaking to the press later, Jamaliah said the target was reviewed to meet the current needs of EVs. “Initially, the Selangor state government planned to install alternating current (AC) chargers, but it has reconsidered its strategy in response to the increasing battery capacities,” she said.
“For instance, during the state’s initial plan to develop the infrastructure, EVs typically had a travel range of 200 km to 250 km, while hybrid vehicles could travel up to 70 km. The rapid advancement in the automotive industry has seen car manufacturers integrating larger batteries. Understanding that the EV environment is still rapidly developing, the state government has reviewed its target by incorporating direct current (DC) chargers that charges a car’s EV battery in a much shorter time,” she told the publication.
Separately, Jamaliah said the state government is in the final stages of discussion about expanding incentives in the state to encourage further adoption of EVs.
She said that the state government, through local councils such as MBPJ, has been providing free parking schemes to hybrid and electric motorists since 2011, and it was now looking at expanding the free parking scheme to EV users, with plans to have these available throughout the state from this year.
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