Many car owners are reluctant to switch to an electric car, stating the dearth of charging stations in Malaysia.
IN an article in The Star (Nov 17,2020), electric vehicle owners in Malaysia are limited as compared to Singapore, as pointed out by the Malaysian Electric Vehicle Owners Club (MyEVOC).
Similarly, neighbouring Thailand and Indonesia seem to have ramped up EV production.
While the price of an EV is still a point of contention, the next biggest reason that car buyers are hesitant to fully commit is the lack of charging stations in the country.
According to German database company Statista, 62.06% of respondents selected the lack of charging stations as a reason, not that far behind the EV price which tops the survey at 64.36%.
But this is about to change as Malaysia's leading installer and supplier of EV charging stations, EV Connection Sdn Bhd (EVC), firmly establishes its position in its fifth year of operations.
Founded in 2016, EVC supplies EV charging equipment, installs charging stations and performs routine maintenance.
It even offers cloud services and support for EV charging infrastructure management.
Since its establishment, EVC has been actively setting up EV charging infrastructure across the nation, from the parking lot in Intel Penang, Tesco and Sunway Nexis, Klang Valley to Ikea Tebrau in Johor Baru.
Its clientele includes 80% of battery-electric vehicles (BEV) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) manufacturers, such as Porsche, Mercedes Benz, Volvo and Hyundai.
The solar-powered EV charging station at Skudai R&R Caltex South Bound, which uses a 50kW DC Charger powered by a solar PV system.
It also installs in shopping malls and property developers like EcoWorld, Skyworld and GuocoLand.
According to EVC, more condominium management boards have recently made requests for EV charging stations.
To date, the company has assessed, designed, and retrofitted 50 condominium residential areas to be EV-facility ready, some of which use the Touch n Go payment system.
EVC expects similar requests to increase as more Malaysians switch from internal-combustion engine vehicles to EV.
Its current major project is deploying a network of DC (direct current) fast-charging stations along the North-South Expressway (NSE).
The DC fast chargers (DCFC) provides for higher power output as compared to AC chargers, resulting in a shorter charging time.
It takes about five to six hours to charge an EV using an AC charger, while that same car would only need only 20-30 mins to charge up to 80% using DCFC.
So far, EVC has managed to complete the first phase of its DCFCs along the NSE, and this includes the Caltex petrol station at the Ayer Keroh rest and service areas for both south- and north-bound, the Bukit Gantang RSA (south- and north-bound) and the Caltex Skudai R&R south bound.
EVC CEO Lee Yuen How (left) with EVC sales manager Kevin Lim at the new EV Charging Experience Centre in Kelana Jaya, Petaling Jaya.
EVC chief executive officer Lee Yuen How hopes that with more DCFCs being accessible along the NSE, EV owners can have peace of mind travelling up and down the peninsula.
Instead of needing to constantly watch their driving speed and worry about depleting the battery before reaching their destination, EV owners can enjoy a smooth and seamless drive knowing there are accessible charging stations along the way.
For improved customer experience, the company has developed an EV charging application on both Android and iOS called JomCharge, which allows EV drivers to easily locate available chargers nearby, start/stop the charging process remotely and pay for charging.
It has also deployed a pilot project to implement “plug and charge” with a few automakers as well as individual Tesla EVs owners.
This feature enables the charger to recognise the vehicle identification number and bill the user directly once the car is plugged in without having the user starting and stopping the app during the charging session.
While continuing to provide the latest technology and innovation in EV charging, this approach has set EVC and JomCharge to be the leading solution provider for EV charging infrastructure in the country.
EVC aims to be a regional player in e-mobility solutions, by offering its products and services in Singapore, Indonesia and even Nepal and Sri Lanka.
Certified as a professional EV charging station specialist by international leading testing service provider TUV Rheinland, EVC’s products and services are assured of excellence that meet local and international standards.
The certification solidifies EVC’s reputation and dedication to deliver quality services that have earned them the trust of international EV charger suppliers.
EVC is also partners with ABB and Hager, making it the authorised distributor for these companies' EV charging products.
