A COMPREHENSIVE study to map out 500 new electric vehicle (EV) charging locations across Selangor is on track for completion by mid-2027.
The state government’s appointed coordinating agency for EV charging point operators has begun fast-tracking the evaluation of sites recommended by local councils to supercharge Selangor’s green infrastructure.
Worldwide Holdings Bhd (WHB) head of new energy Vivekananthen Sreedaran said the study, which started recently, was now at 5% but moving rapidly to meet the targeted completion date.
“The 500 locations were suggested by the local authorities and we need to assess each for its suitability,” he said.
Factors such as the nearest EV Charging Bay (EVCB) to the proposed locations and how WHB could contribute to improving the infrastructure need to be taken into account, he added.
“We also do not intend to concentrate all the charging bays in one locality.
“Demand in outskirt areas such as Hulu Selangor and Sabak Bernam are also important,” said Vivekananthen.
StarMetro’s report “Selangor to study 500 new EV charging bay locations” on April 28 said the locations were proposed by Petaling Jaya and Shah Alam city councils as well as Hulu Selangor and Ampang Jaya municipal councils.
Regarding the number of proposed EVCBs in each of the localities, Vivekananthen said it was still premature to announce this as some of the proposed sites might not be suitable.
“If our study finds that a proposed location is unsuitable, we will need to ask the local authority to propose an alternative site,” he said.
Vivekananthen said the most critical standard that must be considered was the EVCBs’ power source.
In public areas, especially in highly populated zones, he said they usually opt for direct current (DC) chargers for faster charging.
“DC chargers have high output of up to 1500kw compared with AC chargers, so we need to ensure the installation is properly designed and maintained.
“We are also exploring creative solutions like off-grid charging, such as an energy storage system through batteries.
“This can be useful when we are facing power supply constraints, where we can use the low voltage to charge the batteries before generating a higher output at the EVCBs,” he said.
Meanwhile, Shah Alam City Council (MBSA) is developing a guideline to standardise the EVCB application procedures across all local councils in Selangor, with four engagement sessions and focus group discussions already being conducted to date.
MBSA is also preparing a paper with the resolutions from the sessions, to be presented during the Selangor State Economic Council Meeting.
“The sessions discussed the working procedures, application checklists, rental rates, licences and enforcement of EVCBs in the state,” the statement said.
MBSA also said the new “Guidelines for Implementation and Application Procedures for the Installation of Electric Vehicle Charging Stations at Local Authorities in Selangor” will not change existing guidelines developed by the Town and Country Planning Department which has been adopted by Selangor since December 2023.
“The new guideline only aims to improve the work-flow of EVCB applications,” it said.
