PETALING JAYA: Charging an electrical vehicle (EV) is not the same as charging any other electrical appliance at home – and EV owners must be mindful of that.
All EV charging wiring and components need to be rated for relatively high power draw and for long periods of time, says Datuk Shahrol Azral Ibrahim Halmi, president of the Malaysian Electric Vehicle Owners Club (MyEVOC).
He said it is also important that electricians installing the EV charger are certified by the Energy Commission.
The alternate current (AC) using the standard 13A socket, which is standard in homes in Malaysia, is not recommended for EV charging.
Instead, there is a need for a dedicated wallbox or direct current supply for such charging.
“Our home electricity setup is generally able to support EV chargers. However, extra care must be taken with older homes, where there are risks associated with degraded older wiring,” Shahrol Azral added.
Shariman Zainal Abidin, 58, who owns two EVs, said it is important to ensure the charger at home is installed by certified electricians.
The double-Tesla owner, who is from Shah Alam, also cautioned those in older houses to ensure their electrical system is updated to a three-phase power supply.
“My house is 20 years old and when I got my first EV, I switched to a three-phase despite being told it would still be okay with a single phase.
“There is no difference in EV chargers for different cars – the difference is in the operating system in the car which monitors the consumption pattern.
“As I have installed mine correctly, I feel secure in charging my cars overnight and know my EV chargers are safe to use,” he said.
Another EV owner, Ahmad Nazhri Mohd Zain, said it is not safe to charge the EV or hybrid cars using the home wall plug.
“I have been an EV owner since August 2023 but I have been using a PHEV (Plugin Hybrid) since 2018. I charge both cars at home.
“I strongly believe that charging should be done using a certified and approved wallbox.
“A certified electrician is needed to set up the wiring and installation of the wallbox,” he advised.
He said EV sellers should also be responsible and ask how clients plan to charge their EV.
“The firm I bought my EV from wouldn’t even take my deposit until they received a report from their appointed panel that my house has adequate capacity for me to be able to charge my car,” he added.
