A recent image from the Tangkak chargeEV station shows just how far behind our EV charging infrastructure is in Malaysia.
As Malaysia pushes toward a greener automotive future, the reality on the ground often tells a different story. The adoption of Electric Vehicles (EVs) has grown significantly, but the development of a robust, reliable charging network along major inter-state highways continues to lag behind. The situation at Tangkak is a stark reminder that even a few broken chargers can turn a routine journey into a multi-hour ordeal.
The Reliability Gap
For many EV owners, the primary concern is no longer just “range anxiety” but “charger anxiety.” While apps may indicate that a station is active, drivers often arrive to find units out of service or occupied by long queues. In the case of the Tangkak incident, the sight of five premium EVs lined up for a single plug highlights a critical vulnerability: the lack of redundancy. When one charger fails at a major transit point, the entire “green” travel experience breaks down.
We experienced this ourselves during our MG S5 drive to and from Kuantan. On the way back, not a single charging station was active. We reached the destination with just a few percent left in the battery.
Highway Infrastructure Demands
Malaysian highways like the PLUS North-South Expressway require more than just occasional charging points; they need high-capacity hubs with multiple ultra-fast DC chargers. As more Malaysians switch to EVs for long-distance travel, especially during festive seasons, the demand for reliable infrastructure becomes a matter of national logistics.
At the end of 2025, Malaysia only had about half the number of chargers the government had targeted. Either the grid isn’t ready or there isn’t enough of an economic incentive to invest in this area. Plus, existing Charge Point Operators are just not doing enough to ensure uptime. There just always seems to be failures along the way and it feels like the priority is to keep selling EVs even when the network just isn’t ready.
