Yesterday, at the GAC and TC Warisan MOU signing ceremony for the study of local assembly in Malaysia of GAC vehicles with a view towards exports including left hand drive exports - the article is HERE, the Malaysian Transport Minister, the Honourable Anthony Loke had also stated some significant points pertaining to the ownership of electric vehicles (EV) here in Malaysia. Road tax for EV cars is still being studied but a result should be given by the Ministry of Transport by April 2024. According to the minister, they are studying to make the EV road tax lower than what it is and lower than fossil fuel powered vehicles (if possible).
This is good news as I personally would not buy an EV until the government has priced road tax for EVs reasonably. Now, there is free road tax for EV until 2025, but after that, current road tax rates will be a killer. As an example, the current non-tax free rates for EVs like the BMW iX should be in the RM3000 per annum or the Hyundai Kona EV at RM1,500 thereabouts. If you put the equivalent road taxes for the petrol powered models closest to the cars mentioned, its only about RM300+ and RM90 respectively. So actual yearly expenditure for EVs are expensive if you just count road tax. Being a cheapskate, so that I can buy other toys rather than pay road tax, I personally refuse to think about such vehicles.
So Anthony Loke has stated that EV road tax could be cheaper than petrol or diesel powered cars come April, or I think by mid-2024. The main reason is the push towards a cleaner and greener Malaysia which intends to go net zero carbon by 2050. They government thinks that EVs are the way to go and cheaper road tax should be the way to entice users. Aside from that, the study is still ongoing as the Ministry still hasn't decided on how to road tax is to be calculated, as if it is the current way of using Kilowatts like the current one will make EVs extremely pricey in terms of road tax. They are still thinking about it but honestly, counting based on KW or HP will be tough, as all EVs make a certain level based on the electric motor put in it.
And if you notice, most EVs here already are of a certain battery, and motor size based on the segment they are sold in. A BYD EV will have nearly the same output as the competitor EV, it is only what equipment and pricing they have inside of it. Go look at the specs and tell me otherwise. They all also sound the same especially they are all an EV with similar power output, all hit under 3,5,6,7,8 seconds to 100kmh and all seem to max out at 180-196kmh on a single speed gearbox. So for me, same car different brand and aside from that, nothing else and only road tax is stopping me from buying any one of this - except range anxiety AND that I hate waiting at the charging station which forces me to buy a cup of coffee while waiting.
Anyway, the Transport Minister also stated that EVs may be given special number plates to differentiate their status. According to Mr Loke, this is because EVs need to have a different set of safety protocols in case of accidents for the emergency response teams to react too. THis is a DARN GOOD MOVE I say as EV fires require different ways to handle. One cannot just throw water at it and there are high voltage currents running through the cars. Another issue I have about having to park a EV in my garage is this (call me paranoid, okay).
But that is another issue. The main thing is that Mr Loke has spoken on something which I feel should have been settled a long time ago - affordable EV road taxes.
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