PETALING JAYA: The plan to tighten regulations for completely-built-up (CBU) electric vehicle (EV) imports has drawn mixed reactions, with critics saying it will narrow affordable EV options for those wanting to make the switch.
The government has announced that from July 1, imported CBU EVs must meet a minimum cost, insurance and freight (CIF) value of RM200,000 and have a motor power output of at least 180 kilowatts (kW).
Malaysia Electric Vehicle Owners Club (MyEVOC) president Datuk Shahrol Azral Ibrahim Halmi said the policy change could cause affordable foreign CBU EVs to disappear from the local market, affecting consumer EV accessibility.
“We have enjoyed some of the best EV technologies at competitive price points over the past four years but this move will only unnecessarily hurt the competitive market.
“The concern now is that this will then kill the growing EV adoption momentum and in turn have a chilling effect on EV infrastructure deployment,” he said.
Instead of restricting such imported EVs, Shahrol Azral said the focus should be on accelerating the replacement of the government vehicle fleet with EVs under the Low Carbon Mobility Blueprint 2021-2030.
“By replacing the fleet with suitable EVs from Proton and Perodua, this will help catalyse charging infrastructure development and also support the local EV market at the same time.
“Through leading by example, this should further incentivise greater public EV adoption as well as give a boost to local charging point operators,” he said in urging the government to postpone the plan to restrict CBU EV imports due to the ongoing global energy crisis.
Electric Vehicle Association of Malaysia (EVAM) president Datuk Dennis Chuah said while the government’s plan made long-term sense, implementation must be balanced.
“If local markets become reliant on imports of many fragmented CBU models, we may end up depending too heavily on foreign technology without building enough local capability. So the government’s plan is understandable.
“But local manufacturers must be incentivised to not just assemble vehicles but also build deeper technical capability locally so we can develop new technologies, and strengthen local EV expertise,” he said.
Chuah said any plan to restrict CBU EV imports must be balanced with ensuring affordable EV access for consumers, or risk slowing down EV adoption in the short-term.
He said the focus should be on developing local EV engineering talent, completely knocked down (CKD) manufacturing and public EV infrastructure.
“The challenge now is the lack of commercialisation and market access, which can be solved by giving priority to public sector projects to EV manufacturers that commit to long-term local EV industry goals.
“We must also focus on creating visible high-value EV engineering jobs with stable long-term demand so graduates are able to see a clear long-term career path in this industry,” Chuah added.
Meanwhile, long-time EV user and advocate Zuhril Azhar Ibrahim said the proposed policy changes are too drastic and criticised the short notice given.
“This will heavily affect M40 consumers as affordable CBU EV models priced between RM100k and RM300k are being removed from the market too suddenly.
“The worry now for us is that with fewer competitors, there may be less pressure for existing EV players to offer better pricing, specifications, technology or customer value,” he said.
Zuhril said he is unlikely to get another EV if affordable, high-tech local EV options become increasingly limited as a result of the policy change.
