{
  "id": 3136646,
  "title": "Malaysia's highway charger growth lags behind EV surge",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/24/malaysias-highway-charger-growth-lags-behind-ev-surge",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-08-24T23:20:19.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "New Straits Times",
    "slug": "new-straits-times",
    "url": "https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2026/08/1518254/malaysias-highway-charger-growth-lags-behind-ev-surge"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "KUALA LUMPUR: The swift adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) in Malaysia has outpaced the expansion of charging infrastructure, particularly on highways, according to the EV Owners Club. Datuk Shahrol Azral Ibrahim Halmi, the club's president, reported that highway charging bays have only increased from 104 to 126 between the end of 2024 and mid-2026, while EV ownership surged from 39,000 to 122,286 during the same period. Many new EV owners face difficulties when traveling outside urban areas, particularly along major highways, where the number of charging points is insufficient to meet demand, especially during holidays. EV charging operators have attempted to bridge this gap, but they are hindered by high deployment costs, the need to upgrade grid connections, and a complex regulatory approval process. The government could assist by establishing a small Programme Management Office (PMO) to oversee EV charger deployment and address issues, with the power to coordinate across ministries and departments. Some residents expressed concerns about the lack of charging facilities near their low-cost apartments, hindering their plans to purchase electric vehicles.",
  "summary": "KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s rapid growth of electric vehicles (EVs) over the past few years has outpaced its infrastructure deployment, especially on highway charging bays, said the EV Owners Club.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}