135 - Malaysia’s EV Boom Faces a Reality Check in 2026

About this episode

The episode discusses the future of Malaysia's electric vehicle market as key incentives expire and challenges persist.

Malaysia’s EV adoption has seen tremendous growth last year with 44,813 units registered, but what happens next in 2026? In this episode of SoyaCincau Let’s Talk About, Amin and Alex break down the state of electric vehicles and charging infrastructure as key incentives expire and existing challenges remain unaddressed.They discuss the uncertainty following the end of tax exemptions for imported (CBU) EVs in 2025, concerns that EV growth could slow or decline, and whether clearer long-term policies are needed to sustain momentum.Charging infrastructure is expanding, but real-world issues remain especially for EV owners living in high-rise buildings and apartments, where the lack of a “right to charge” continues to be a major barrier. They also examine why deploying EV chargers along highways remains complicated, with no clear mandate to ensure coordinated support from all relevant agencies.The conversation includes insights from charge point operators (CPOs) who continue to push ahead despite these hurdles, often deploying chargers through alternative means to meet growing demand.This episode breaks down what’s working, what’s not, and what needs to change next.

People in this episode

Hosts: Amin, Alex

Topics covered

• electric vehicles
• charging infrastructure
• EV adoption
• tax exemptions
• policy
• real-world issues
• high-rise living

Keywords

• Malaysia
• EV boom
• charging infrastructure
• tax exemptions
• electric vehicles
• real-world issues
• high-rise buildings
• policy changes

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: charge point operators

Products: EVs

Places: Malaysia

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