INVESTMENT, Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz said the number of electric vehicle (EV) charging stations across the country increased by 12.5% as of June 25 compared to the first quarter of 2024, driven by the government’s efforts to reduce bureaucracy in the process of installing the stations.
He said the approval process previously involved many agencies and ministries including the Energy Commission, local authorities (PBT) and the fire department.
“There has been a lot of increase (in the number of stations) in the past two to three months. Initially there were challenges in terms of approval, but the meeting chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof has succeeded in reducing the red tape.
“(When) there is a one-stop centre, Alhamdulillah that effort has been accelerated,” he told the media in Ipoh after an UMNO meeting yesterday (July 13).
Tengku Zafrul also said that despite maintaining the target of 10,000 EV charging stations, the government also increased the target of Direct Current (DC) Fast Charging unit stations from 1,000 to 1,500 this year.
He is also optimistic that the target of 10,000 EV charging stations can be achieved but at the same time DC charging units need to be increased following consumer demand.
Yesterday, Kuala Lumpur Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM) acting director Rozihan Anwar Mamat said there is no agent capable of extinguishing fires caused by lithium batteries, commonly used in electric vehicles (EVs).
For that matter, the guidelines for installing electric vehicle charging stations (EVCS) are being refined.
“To date, no extinguishing agent worldwide can put out fires caused by lithium batteries used in EVs. In fact, lithium can reignite even after the fire has been extinguished,” he added. – July 14, 2024
