Let’s be honest, electric cars cost more than our average petrol cars. The new Nissan Leaf, an all-electric car with a selling price of RM 181,263.00, according to its official Malaysia website. That would be the minimum price in order to purchase an electric vehicle in Malaysia. Still, that price is absurd for many people when there are more fuel-efficient cars at a considerably low price, many which are priced below RM 50,000.

So, that being said, is Malaysia really prepared to cater to electric cars? Currently, no. But maybe in the next five to ten years. Why? We will break it down for you here:

Limited Numbers of Charging Ports

There are not many charging ports throughout the whole Malaysia. Although malls do have their own charging stations, these malls are usually located in the Klang Valley. Though charging stations are available in certain places in Johor and certain R&R along the highways, yet, it is still centred in Klang Valley. It will be troublesome should you need to travel to the East Coast of Malaysia. There are charging ports available in certain regions of the East Coast, yet one is located a distance away from the other. Should you have plans to travel to the East Coast from the city, you have to properly plan out your journey so that you don’t fall short.

Limited Options

When choosing an electric car, the cars available on the Malaysian market are very limited. Most opting to buy an electric car will seek those with long range capabilities. An electric car cost nothing less than RM 100,000 in Malaysia. At a starting price of under RM 50, 000, The Perodua Bezza 1.0 Standard G-A/T, Proton Iriz 1.3 MT, Myvi 1.3 Standard G-A/T, Suzuki Alto 1.0 A/T GLX and Hyundai i10, these cars are more attractive to buyers and will definitely not burn a hole in their pockets.

Lack of Electric Cars Service Centres

According to a transport expert CNA spoke to, Malaysia does not have electric vehicle repair facilities because there is a lack of human capital to support the EV industry. Associate Professor Muhammad Zaly Shah, director of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia’s Centre for Innovative Planning and Development told CNA: “We don’t have programmes to train mechanic and engineers to be efficient in maintaining electric vehicles. So, owners have to send their car back to manufacturers overseas.”

There you have it, is it feasible to own an electric car in Malaysia? Overall, not a good idea. Though we should applaud the government for takin initiatives to make Malaysia more environmentally friendly, there are so much more that we need to improve before we can implement into becoming a fully electric cars friendly country.