Here’s hoping that more petroleum companies will follow suit
Petronas Dagangan Berhad (PDB) recently announced that it is working closely with Mercedes-Benz Malaysia and EV Connection (operator of JomCharge network) to install DC fast chargers at its selected stations by the first half of 2022. With the Malaysian government set to give full exemption of duties and taxes for EVs starting next year, this announcement couldn’t be more timely.
PDB said it will begin the programme with a pilot phase which involves five Petronas stations located along the entire North-South Expressway (PLUS) and part of East-Coast Expressway (LPT). According to the company, this will enable end-to-end coverage between the two major highways. There is however no mention of which stations will get these fast chargers.
Nonetheless, this is good news for those who are looking to jump on the EV bandwagon as well as existing EV owners as they will be able to go on long distance road trips in the not-too-distant future.
Petronas isn’t the only petroleum company making investments to accelerate EV adoption in the country. Earlier in March this year, Shell and Porsche Asia Pacific announced a collaboration to install 12 charge points at six of its stations along the PLUS highway.
Here’s the press release with more info:
PRESS RELEASE
PETRONAS Dagangan Berhad (PDB) today entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Mercedes-Benz Malaysia Sdn Bhd (Mercedes-Benz) and EV Connection Sdn Bhd (EV Connection), the operator of JomCharge network in Malaysia, to deploy DC Fast EV charger at PETRONAS stations by the first half of 2022.
The strategic partnership aims to address EV drivers’ pain point of insufficient fast chargers in Malaysia. Under this collaboration, PDB plans to strategically install the fast chargers at five PETRONAS stations in the pilot phase, to enable end-to-end coverage between North-South Expressway and part of East-Coast Expressway.
The MoU was signed by PDB’s Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Azrul Osman Rani, Mercedes-Benz’s Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Rene Neumann and EV Connection’s Managing Director Ir Lee Yuen How.
Speaking at the event, PETRONAS Vice President of Marketing, Ahmad Adly Alias said, “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.”
“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.
This tripartite collaboration is also aligned with PDB’s future-proof strategy given the inevitable shift to cleaner mobility in the future.
Vice President of Sales & Marketing, Mercedes-Benz Malaysia, Michael Jopp said, “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.”
Ir Lee said that as one of the early EV charging solution providers, EVC has always believed in the potential of the EVs in Malaysia. “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).”
