After a slow start, Malaysia is making big gains in its electric vehicle charging infrastructure. Petronas Dagangan Berhad (PDB) has just announced it will install a number DC fast charging stations at its stations by the first half of 2022, thanks to a new partnership with Mercedes-Benz Malaysia (MBM) and EV Connection (EVC) – the latter being the operator of the JomCharge network of charging stations.
The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) will see the national fuel retailer add the chargers to five of its stations along the entire North-South Expressway and part of the East-Coast Expressway during the pilot phase. Petronas says the partnership aims to address the issue of insufficient fast chargers in Malaysia, with the locations of said chargers helping to realise long-distance travel for EV drivers.
“Sustainability is at the core of everything we do and this strategic collaboration signifies another major stride in our efforts to provide cleaner energy in enriching lives for a sustainable future,” said Petronas vice president of marketing Ahmad Adly Alias.
“PDB has provided EV charging facilities at our stations since 2017 and one opportunity that we have identified is the demand for faster charging facilities during long distance travel, especially along major highways. Through this partnership, fast chargers will be available at strategic locations leveraging our wide network of Petronas stations, making customers’ life simpler and better. We view this investment in EV charging facilities a necessary step towards promoting the adoption of EVs in Malaysia,” he added.
Vice president of sales and marketing at MBM, Michael Jopp, confirmed that the company will introduce a range of new fully-electric EQ models in Malaysia next year. “2022 marks the beginning of our Mercedes-EQ model offensive strategy. Mercedes-Benz Malaysia will be introducing a range of our premium all-electric models to define the future of mobility.
“This is in line with Mercedes-Benz’s global strategy to go all-electric by end of the decade where market conditions allow. Therefore, we are fully committed to invest in our local infrastructure together with PDB and EVC to encourage the EV adoption amongst the Malaysian drivers,” he said.
Managing director of EVC Ir Lee Yuen How added: “In support of the Malaysian government’s Budget 2022, EVC is delighted to foster this strategic partnership with PDB and MBM in expanding JomCharge DC fast charger network in the country. Given the clear policy from the Government, we believe that next year will be a tipping point for EV adoption in Malaysia. This tri-party partnership is a big step forward to support Malaysia in the transition to EVs as part of our Low Carbon Mobility Blueprint (LCMB).”
Petronas is not the only fuel retailer to enter the EV charging space in Malaysia. Last month, Shell inked a partnership with BMW Group Malaysia, GreenTech Malaysia and Tenaga Nasional, building on an earlier collaboration with Porsche to install fast charging stations at six Shell stations – also along the North-South Expressway – by mid-2022.
The post Petronas stations to get EV fast chargers by 1H 2022 in partnership with Mercedes-Benz Malaysia, JomCharge appeared first on Paul Tan's Automotive News.
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