SOME 30,000 units of battery electric vehicle (BEV) passenger and commercial vehicles are eligible to receive benefits of the full road tax exemption incentive as of Sept 30 this year, says Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz.
The Investment, Trade and Industry Minister said to encourage the use of electric vehicles, the government has offered an incentive of full exemption from road tax for four years, starting from Jan 1, 2022 to Dec 31, 2025.
Based on registration records from the Road Transport Department, a total of 32,535 units of passenger and commercial vehicles (excluding buses) have been registered in the country.
On the use of electric vehicles by the B40 income group, Tengku Zafrul said the ownership of such vehicles focused more on the use of electric motorcycles, considering the lack of locally manufactured electric car options at competitive prices in the local market.
“To cater to this market potential, both national car manufacturers, Perodua and Proton, are planning to produce electric cars to meet domestic demand in the near future,” he said in a parliamentary written reply to a question from Datuk Muslimin Yahaya (PN-Sungai Besar).
Muslimin Yahaya had asked the ministry to state the number of road tax exemptions for electric vehicles (EVs) and measures taken for B40 income earners to enjoy the use of EVs.
To encourage the use of electric motorcycles in Malaysia, Tengku Zafrul said his ministry, through its agency MARii, has implemented the electric motorcycle use promotion scheme.
“This scheme offers a rebate of RM2,400 for the purchase or subscription of electric motorcycles, specifically for Malaysians with an annual income below RM120,000.
“The scheme is aimed at encouraging the public to seize the opportunity to switch to fully electric-powered vehicles as their daily mode of transportation,” he said.
