The Malaysian Automotive Association (MAA) held a press conference yesterday to share some updates on the local automotive scene. What caught our eyes is the increase in EV sales for 1H 2024; compared to the same period in 2023, a whopping 112% more electric vehicles were sold in the first half of the year at 6,617 units.

However, it’s worth noting that the figure does not include sales of Tesla vehicles, given that the carmaker is not an MAA member. Nonetheless, a quick check on the registration data obtained from the Road Transport Department (JPJ) shows that a total of 3,079 Tesla models were sold in 1H 2024. Collectively, as many as 9,696 EVs were registered in the first half of 2024.

Compared to the total number of EVs sold in Malaysia for the whole of 2023 (10,159 units), it’s evident that EV adoption is rising quite a bit on our shores. This can be attributed to the fact that more EV models are available in the market now, including the BYD Seal and Chery Omoda E5. Of course, the tax exemption on fully imported CBU EVs (set to end on 31 December 2025) helps too.

With the introduction of many more EV models in Malaysia – such as the recently launched smart #3 – we reckon even more car buyers will opt for an EV in the second half of 2024. All that’s left is for the EV charging infrastructure in Malaysia to continue improving, which is the main pain point of EV ownership in Malaysia right now.