KUALA LUMPUR, April 15 — Electric vehicles (EVs) are trending, with many on social media posting photos and talking about their happiness and pride at owning one.

According to Malaysian Electric Vehicle Owners Club (MyEVOC) president, Datuk Shahrol Halmi, there are an estimated 500 EVs on the road today, with more people intending to buy one for several reasons.

"There’s a bright future for EVs in Malaysia, with many expressing an interest in owning one because it is smoother and quieter than a conventional car,” he said.

There’s also a wide selection of EVs in the market to suit your budget, needs and brand preference, said Shahrol.

"The current trend in Malaysia is high-end EVs from Porsche, BMW, Hyundai, Volvo and Mercedes-Benz, and now, Tesla, MG and Audi have entered the market, too. Buyers are spoilt for choice,” he said.

"The Malaysian government encourages EV use, providing an exemption on import duty and more. They are better for the environment and don’t emit carbon dioxide which pollutes the air.

"It is in accordance with the government’s 2021-2030 Low Carbon Mobility Blueprint, as well,” Shahrol said.

However, there are still some weaknesses that need to be corrected to ensure the EV ecosystem is on par with other countries like Indonesia, Thailand and Singapore.

"They are more actively working on becoming leaders in the EV field and are continuously improving their ecosystem to enable their people to use EVs with ease,” he said.

The other drawbacks here are the high cost of EVs because it is still a new technology and the lack of charging stations, although Shahrol believes this will be sorted out soon as the switch to EVs accelerates.

"I hope EV users will be more involved in giving feedback to sellers, charge point operators and the government for a EV future that is brighter,” he said. — Bernama