News just in that Malaysia officially recorded a total of 94,165 electric vehicles (EVs) registered in the country since 2018. But we wonder, how many are still running and active and not sitting idle collecting dust due to software or even battery issues (which plague used recon units coming in from Japan and Hong Kong).
Also, let us not forget EV brands that have gone bankrupt with no spare parts and after sales for owners.
The EV adoption in Malaysia has scaled rapidly, driven by previous import duty exemptions, lower priced Chinese made EV’s coming into out country and in recent months, increasing fuel costs.
Here below is The Malaysian EV Adoption Milestones from 2022 to 2026
EV registration numbers have surged significantly over the last few years as charging infrastructure increased but there has been a slowdown in the installation of new EV chargers (especially from Gentari who promised a lot in the early years)
2021: 278 units (before major incentives)
2022: 2,600 units
2023: 13,301 units
2024: 21,789 units
2025: 44,813 units
In the first few months of 2026 Over 20,000 new electric vehicles were registered (just between January and April).
Meanwhile, it is locally badged EV brands and models seem to be dominating the market with their attractive prices. The Proton e.MAS range and BYD latest models have emerged as the leading EV brands.
While tax exemptions for fully imported Completely Built-Up (CBU) EVs expired at the end of 2025, the government is focusing heavily on local Completely Knocked-Down (CKD) production. Starting July 1, imported EVs must meet a minimum CIF (Cost, Insurance, and Freight) value of RM200,000.
