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THE on-going issue with owning an electric vehicle (EV) in Malaysia starts with range anxiety, which is how far can we drive before we run out of battery power, and then comes the issue of the long wait to recharge the battery before the journey can be continued.
Let us not forget the high selling prices of EVs in Malaysia due to our low currency exchange rate and our tax system.
This has hampered the adoption of electric vehicles in a big way in Malaysia as most EV chargers are located in Hotel car parks and some shopping malls.
The EV chargers located at petrol stations along the PLUS highways are often not useable as petrol and diesel vehicles owners park at the spot and just ignore the signs and then there are some EV chargers that have been vandalised.
For the wealthy Malaysian, owning a battery-powered car like the Porsche Taycan is easy as owners will for sure have more than one car in their garage and most of them are not completely reliant on their battery-powered car for everyday commuting.
For the average Malaysian, the EV battery cost will be an issue as they might want to keep their EV for more than seven years or need to take that ‘balik kampung’ trip every quarter and an EV charging station (more than one please) along the way is needed.
Well, the problem is being solved as you read this report as six Shell fuel stations in Malaysia will soon offer high-performance direct-current chargers capable of charging EVs such as the all-electric Porsche Taycan at up to 180kW.
Porsche Asia Pacific and Shell have jointly announced the implementation of Southeast Asia’s first cross-border high performance charging (HPC) network with 12 charge points at six Shell stations strategically located along Malaysia’s North-South highway, offering EV drivers the possibility of smooth and convenient travel between Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, and Penang.
The partnership further demonstrates the commitment between Porsche and Shell to drive the future of electric mobility in Southeast Asia by spearheading connectivity between the two countries, which handle one of the world’s busiest international land border crossings at the Sultan Iskandar Building and Woodlands Checkpoint.
The EV chargers will come with two CCS Type 2 charging connectors, allowing a single vehicle to be charged at up to 180kW, or two vehicles to charge simultaneously at up to 90 kW each. The offering will be rolled out in stages with four stations to be ready in the second half of 2021 and two additional stations by the first half of 2022.
Furthermore, they will complement the established 175kW high-performance chargers available at all Porsche Centres in Malaysia, as well as the growing ‘Porsche Destination Charging’ network at selected hotels, airports, sports clubs, and other lifestyle venues.
Porsche Taycan owners will be able to charge their super sedans from zero to 80% battery capacity in around 30 minutes, providing up to 350km (NEDC) of extra travel distance.
Shell is also offering additional benefits to Porsche customers such as reserving the HPC points in Malaysia in advance using their mobile app, and preferential prices for food and beverages at the Shell Select shops. – The Vibes, April 1, 2021
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