Electric Vehicles

Electric Vehicles - Evolution of mobility

  • Lower running cost
    Lower running cost

    As prices of fuel are at an all-time high, fuel-based vehicles can burn a hole in your pocket. Electric vehicles, on the other hand, run on electricity, meaning no fuel bills. Electricity is much cheaper than gasoline.

  • No emissions
    No emissions

    As electric vehicles run on electricity, they are 100 percent eco-friendly. They do not emit any toxic gases and thus contribute to a healthy and green climate.

  • Low maintenance
    Low maintenance

    The maintenance cost of electric vehicles is less as they are driven by electric motors. So, there is no need to send the vehicle to the service station for tons of maintenance tasks associated with a gas engine.

Electric Vehicles

Why Switch To Electric Vehicles?

Benefits of electric vehicles for you and the environment

Easy and safe to drive Easy and safe to drive

Operated with just the accelerator pedal, brake pedal, and steering wheel, electric vehicles have the simplest driving method. These are also safer to drive as their lower center of gravity makes them more stable on the road in case of a collision.

Cost-effective Cost-effective

With technological advancements, the cost and maintenance of electric vehicles have been reduced significantly nowadays. Low running costs, available tax incentives, and longer battery life make them cost-effective.

Reduces air and noise pollution Reduces air and noise pollution

Along with reducing air pollution, electric vehicles contribute greatly to lessening noise pollution both in residential and city centre areas. They are practically silent as compared to noisy conventional cars.

Videos On Electric Vehicles

Advantages and disadvantages

Key components of Electric Vehicles

What makes an electric vehicle work

Electric Motor Electric Motor

Instead of the internal combustion engine, electric vehicles come with an electric motor. Any EV typically uses one motor, but there can also be dual motors or three or four separate motors for each wheel. It is smaller than the conventional engine resulting in expanded cabin space or storage. Instant peak torque delivery and noiseless, pollution-free operation are the other advantages associated with it.

Battery Battery

The electric vehicle is equipped with a battery pack providing electricity to the motor, which is installed under the floor of the cabin. The cruising range of an electric vehicle is determined by the size of the battery pack. Higher the capacity, higher the driving range. Different types of batteries usually installed in an electric vehicle are lithium-ion, lead-acid, and nickel-metal hydride. Their power capacity is measured in kilowatt-hours. It can be easily recharged through house electricity or dedicated EV recharging stations.

Charger Charger

For charging an electric vehicle, a special adapter is required to connect it with a power source. The adaptor usually comes with the car or can also be sold separately. Three levels of EV charging are Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3. The first two levels are for normal-speed charging while Level 3 is for faster DC charging.

Electric Vehicles in Malaysia

As the global automotive industry is undergoing a paradigm shift to switch to alternative sources of energy, Malaysia is also heading towards electric mobility. Being a developing nation, the country foresees the potential of electric vehicles. The government recently announced initiatives relating to electric vehicles that support the development of the local EV industry. As per that, EVs will soon benefit from the complete exemption of import duty, excise duty, sales tax along with a 100% road tax exemption. Not only that, but also there will be an income tax relief on the cost of purchasing and installing, or subscription payments of EV charging facilities.
The sale of electrified vehicles, including hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and pure-electric, is growing in the country. Honda Malaysia has achieved milestones in domestic manufacturing of hybrid models with Jazz Hybrid, City Hybrid, and City Hybrid. BMW Malaysia Sdn Bhd is also contributing significantly in the premium EV segment with its hybrid models. It also introduced two pure EVs in the market recently viz BMW iX and iX3.
The national automaker Proton has already showcased its electric vehicle prototype named Proton Iriz EV in 2015, while Perodua is also involved in research on electric and hybrid vehicles and in talks with its partner Daihatsu regarding this.
Local startups like Eclimo are also contributing towards green mobility by manufacturing electric motorcycles and lithium-ion batteries. A Singapore-based firm, Oyika, is also playing an important role in providing a battery swap facility for electric bikes. MyKar has signed the MOA with the MARii (Malaysia Automotive, Robotics, and IoT Institute) for conducting testing and designing EVs. MGTC is providing the charging station solution throughout Malaysia. As of 2020, almost 300 charging stations are available in Malaysia concentrated near Klang Valley.

  • What is an electric vehicle?

    An electric vehicle runs on an electric motor. It is seen as a replacement for current-gen automobiles which are powered by internal combustion engines.

  • How long does it take to charge the electric vehicles?

    You can charge electric vehicles at home as well as at any public charging station. It can be done in just 30 minutes or may take as long as a half-day, depending on the size of the battery and the type of charger you are using.

  • Why are electric vehicles considered eco friendly?

    Because they do not emit climate-damaging greenhouse gases and are quiet.

  • Do electric vehicles work in hilly areas?

    Each wheel or each set of wheels of an electric vehicle has separate motors that produce high torque instantaneously, thus it can climb steep mountains conveniently.

  • What are the upcoming electric vehicles?

    Upcoming electric vehicles in Malaysia include Hyundai Kona Electric, BMW i4, and MG ZS EV.

  • What are the limitations of electric vehicles?

    A few limitations of electric vehicles include the shorter drive range and speed, and the high cost of installing a charging station at home.