In Malaysia, it should be obvious by now that the government is pushing for the electric vehicle (EV) market. A couple of new EV charging stations have popped up in several malls and standalone stations, plus owners have been installing them at home. But how do you buy an EV in Malaysia?
A simple answer for this is to visit an EV maker showroom and enquire about a particular model you are interested in. However, an EV is quite different from a regular car. What should you look out for? Should you just get an EV with the longest battery endurance? Or choose the longest range distance? How about maintenance? Read on below to find out.
1. Charging Hubs Accessibility
Before considering an EV, you will need to know if any nearby charging hubs are available. Well, the good news is that since the government is pushing for EVs, many charging stations have popped up across the nation. You can check out the nearest one in the Gentari Go, JomCharge, chargEV, or the Hello smart app. There are over 400 charging locations (and counting) available in Malaysia, including shopping malls, office buildings and public parking facilities. However, do note that not all of them offer the same charging speeds and costs.
A charging station concept by Shell at Genting
The Malaysian government is preparing EV charging bay guidelines for all high-rise & landed homes
Another alternative is instead of relying on charging hubs around your area, you could just install one at your home's parking garage. This is the most convenient way, just like charging your phone overnight for the next day. Then again, it comes at an average cost of RM7000. Having an EV charging station at a condominium is also doable, so read the guide here to find out how.
2. Driving Range
Next, it's important to consider the range of an EV. A driving range means how far the EV travels on a single charge. Like phones, every EV has a different maximum driving range. If you tend to drive only around the town or city area, it's best to just take a shorter-range EV and vice versa. This is quite straightforward.
You can always check for an EV's driving range on official websites
3. EV Battery
Like phones, EV batteries will degrade over time. But the good news is that most EVs have 15 to 20 years of battery life (according to National Grid). Also, most EV manufacturers offer a few years of battery warranty. If your warranty is void, replacing an EV battery can incur a hefty cost of between RM30000 and RM100000. Not all EV batteries are equal, though. Some are designed to last as long as possible, depending on the EV model.
That said, it's equally important to take care of your EV battery to ensure longevity. As you may already know, the trick to maintaining your phone's battery healthy is keeping the charge between 20% and 80%. This can also be applied to EV batteries, as overcharging or leaving it at a low state will degrade it further. Also, try to park your EV under shade as much as possible because the hot weather in Malaysia can affect the battery's health.
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If you don't want to get a pure EV, you can get a hybrid, which switches between electric energy and the traditional blend of petrol. These vehicles are known as HEVs, and these hybrid cars are slower than pure EVs. Having a hybrid car can be advantageous since you can rely on both electric and petrol. Thus, there's less worry about the lack of charging hubs in your area or travel route.
4. Maintenance and Service
Of course, sending your EV for regular maintenance and service is crucial to keep its longevity. However, the experience is quite different from a car. You see, an EV has no engine motor, gears or spark plugs to replace, so they save a lot of money in the long run. However, you should change the tyres every few years based on mileage. And that's mostly it.
And unlike cars, electricity will always be cheaper than petrol. As you should know, gas and petrol tend to rise in prices as the years go by. According to research, "EV is expected to reach cost parity with ICE (Internal Combustion Engine) vehicles and even become cheaper as technology improves, competition increases, and renewable electricity becomes more available" in the next 10 years.
Do Electric Cars Need Servicing and Maintenance?
Government plans to bring in EVs below RM100000 into Malaysia
Before we end this article, we should mention that you should check out our government incentives for EVs. At the moment, the government is offering up to RM2500 of income tax exemptions for EV owners who install an EV charging station at home. Furthermore, there's a rebate of up to RM2500 for individuals taking up electric motorcycles, but only for those who earn RM120000 and below a year.
It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that buying an EV requires a lot of homework before deciding which is best for you. In the Malaysian market, GWM ORA, BYD and Tesla EV models start from around RM140000 and above. There's also the premium range for the T20 group with the likes of Mercedes and Lotus at a starting price of half a million Ringgit, more or less.
That's about it, folks. So, are you going to join the EV gang in Malaysia? Let us know in the comments below and stay tuned for more tech guides only at TechNave.com.
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