MOSTI: Hydrogen vehicles to gain greater prominence in Peninsula Malaysia; first cars, fueling stations coming in 2024
Sanjay · Sep 27, 2023 02:30 PM
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KL 2024?
The Minister of Science, Technology, and Innovation, Chang Lih Kang said that Peninsula Malaysia will be receiving its first hydrogen station next year, in tandem with the introduction of multiple hydrogen vehicles and buses to go, reports The Star.
The Minister said that it was only proper for the peninsula to embrace the technology as Sarawak has already went on similar efforts.
Sarawak's hydrogen buses
“The peninsula is poised to establish its first hydrogen station next year, alongside the introduction of several hydrogen cars and public buses.
“Once the first hydrogen refuelling station is operational, we will introduce multiple hydrogen vehicles for trial runs and deploy public buses powered by hydrogen,” he told the English daily.
Chang said that a hydrogen-based energy ecosystem aligns with the national hydrogen agenda, which is set to be outlined in the upcoming Hydrogen Economy and Technology Roadmap 2022-2050 (HETR) that's due to launch in October.
One of Sarawak's hydrogen filling station
HETR is structured into three phases – with the short-term phase covering the 12th and 13th Malaysia Plans from 2022 to 2030, the medium-term phase (14th and 15th Malaysia Plans from 2031 to 2040) and the long-term phase (16th and 17th Malaysia Plans from 2041 to 2050).
He added that the government's focus on both electric vehicles (EVs) and hydrogen powered ones are due to the less-than-ideal rate of EV usage, stemming from charging and pricing concerns, though he maintains that the government is dedicated to achieve the target of 10,000 EV charging stations across Malaysia by 2025.
The Toyota Mirai FCEV cars are already in Sarawak, albeit for the use of the state government at this stage
“Hydrogen vehicles are gaining momentum, so while Malaysia continues developing EV technology, it does not deter the government’s strategic approach to growing green vehicles and fostering a sustainable and environmentally friendly transportation landscape in Malaysia,” he said.
Meanwhile, the ministry projects that RON 95 will cost RM2.75 per litre in 2030, RM 4.02 in 2040 and RM 5.54 in 2050, when subsidies are removed.
“In contrast, the price of green hydrogen per litre could be around RM5.22 in 2030. And when the technology matures, and usage expands by 2050, the price could go down further to RM 3.50 per litre,” he said.
With humble beginnings collecting diecast models and spending hours virtually tuning dream cars on the computer, his love of cars has delightfully transformed into a career. Sanjay enjoys how the same passion for cars transcends boundaries and brings people together.
