Total electric vehicle (EV) charging stations for Malaysia still stand at measly 1,063, but the country is still sticking to the 10,000 charging stations target by 2025 as outlined by the Low Carbon Mobility Blueprint, said Deputy MITI Minister Liew Chin Tong.

Speaking at this morning’s launch of the Tesla Model Y, Liew said “As of today, it’s at 1,063. The target based on the Low Carbon Mobility Blueprint issued by the government in 2020 is to have 10,000 charging stations by 2025, of which 1,000 will be DC (fast) chargers and 9,000 will be (regular) AC chargers. So that is the goal and I hope with a lot more push and facilitation from the government, and synchronization of policies, we can see the target meet by 2025.”

When asked about an interim targeted milestone for 2024, Liew declined to provide a figure, saying that the government will monitor based on the 2025 target.

“It will take some time. There is some facilitation and synchronization happening,” he added.

Meanwhile, Tesla has announced that it will be adding 10 Supercharger stations around the West coast of Peninsular Malaysia, covering Klang Valley, Johor, Negeri Sembilan, Perak, and Penang.

Supercharger is the name for Tesla’s own dedicated charging station, exclusive only to Tesla vehicles. Depending on location, Supercharges can provide up to 250 kW of power – the maximum power the dual-motor Model Y Long Range and Performance variants can pull.

Unlike other EV charging stations, Supercharger is integrated into Tesla’s in-car navigation. Tesla owners don’t need to load multiple apps on their smartphones to locate, book, and pay for the charging services.

Instead, Tesla’s Supercharger promises a very simple two-step process for owners – just park your Tesla and plug-in, just like charging your smartphone. There is no tapping of membership cards or loading apps on your smartphone, not even on the car’s touchcreen!

The in-car navigation will even recommend you where to stop to charge, based on the waiting queue (if any) and your distance to destination. The software will also pre-prime the battery to accept high-powered DC fast charging. For other EVs, this process only happens after the car is parked, contributing to even-longer waiting time.

This is also why Tesla is said to offer the best EV ownership.

However, as a condition for allowing Tesla to import its cars into Malaysia without needing to appoint a local Bumiputera company to supply the otherwise mandatory Franchise Approved Permits (Franchise APs), Tesla is required to open 30 percent (or 15 chargers) of its Superchargers to other EV makes.

Non-Tesla owners will of course need some sort of verification and payment via a (or multiple) smartphone apps.

The first Tesla Supercharger location is iat level B1 of Pavillion Kuala Lumpur’s underground parking. Details of pricing for using Supercharger services have yet to be disclosed (pending regulatory approval before starting service) but the charging stalls appear to be the V3 type, which can deliver up to 250 kW.