KUALA LUMPUR: The Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI) is collaborating with the Selangor and Johor state governments to ensure that every district has at least one direct current (DC) fast charger for electric vehicle (EV) use. MITI Deputy Minister Liew Chin Tong stated that this initiative is part of the government’s measures to achieve the 10,000 EV charging stations target by 2025.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Liew expressed optimism about the pilot project’s potential to extend across all districts in both states, thereby ensuring comprehensive access to DC chargers. He made these remarks during a question-and-answer session in the Dewan Rakyat, in response to a query from Datuk Ku Abd Rahman Ku Ismail (PN-Kubang Pasu) about the government’s strategy to bolster EV charging infrastructure in light of increasing nationwide EV adoption.

Currently, there are 500 DC chargers installed across the country, and MITI has increased its target from 1,000 to 1,500 units by 2025. Liew emphasized t
he importance of DC chargers in expediting EV charging, aiming for 1,500 installations due to their efficiency in reducing charging time.

In response to another inquiry from Khoo Poay Tiong (PH-Kota Melaka) on efforts to enhance the local EV production and support sustainable development goals (SDG) 2050 targets, Liew mentioned various initiatives to strengthen the EV ecosystem and domestic industry. As of September 30, 2024, a total of 33,319 electric vehicles (xEVs), including hybrids, plug-in hybrids, battery electric vehicles (BEVs), and fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs), have been sold, accounting for 5.11 percent of total vehicle sales for the year. Additionally, 3,354 charging bays have been installed as of October 31, 2024.