Each time we share our experiences driving electric vehicles (EV), we tend to get a lot of comments like there are not enough EV chargers, EVs cannot last long during jam and EVs are simply not practical for long distance drives.
Last weekend, we embarked on a 1115km EV road trip to Kelantan and Terengganu to put three of the most common EV myths to the test. This isn’t theory or lab conditions, just real-world Raya traffic jam conditions.
One of the most commonly requested road trips is to drive an EV during the mad balik kampung rush to the east coast. Last year, we made the trip from Kuala Lumpur to Kota Bharu via Gua Musang on Raya eve with the BYD Seal Premium. The drive was very smooth and we arrived with 22% battery remaining on a single charge after 7 hours of driving.
For 2025, we did the same road trip earlier, two days before Raya. Finally, this is the real deal as the entire journey took over 13 hours and it is a great opportunity to put EV’s efficiency to the test during a real world Raya jam.
Knowing that some sceptics will say that range isn’t a problem with a new EV equipped with a fresh battery, we made the trip with our own Kia EV6. This EV is more than 2 years old (2022 unit registered in January 2023). Before the trip, it has clocked almost 50,000km of mileage and it is still running on the original set of tyres.
Myth 1: EVs will drain battery faster during traffic jams
“Try driving EV to Kota Bharu during 13 hour jam. You need to standby power bank or genset!“
The truth is EVs are actually very efficient during traffic jams. Unlike a petrol or diesel engine which continues to burn fuel and generates a lot of heat, the motor on EVs consumes 0kW while idling. The air-conditioning system in an EV typically uses 1-2kW of power, which is very frugal. Even while travelling downhill or braking, the EV battery also gets back some energy through regenerative braking.
On 29th March, the road leading to Karak highway was super congested and it took 2 hours just to get from Kepong to the Gombak Toll Plaza. It then took us over 2 hours more to reach Genting Sempah R&R.
During the 5 hour crawling traffic where we only covered a distance of 45.5km, the battery level only dropped at an average of 3% per hour.
- 2 hours – 100% to 94% (6% used)
- 3 hours 20 minutes – 100% to 90% (10% used)
- 4 hours – 100% to 86% (14% used)
- 5 hours – 100% to 84% (16% used)
The results are proof that EVs sip little energy during bad traffic jams and the concern that EV batteries will run out quickly is nothing but a myth.
Myth 2: There are not enough EV chargers to travel to Kelantan
“EVs are only for city use. Malaysia don’t have enough EV infrastructure“
While Malaysia is still far from achieving its 10,000 EV charge points target by 2025, it can’t be denied that there are a lot more EV chargers being deployed around Peninsular Malaysia which includes DC fast chargers in the East Coast. But are there any queues?
With more EVs hitting the roads, there will be more EV chargers rolled out from various Charge Point Operators to meet demand. As covered on SoyaCincau.com, we are seeing new EV charging locations being deployed almost on a weekly basis.
In the week before Raya, there were 7 new DC charging locations turned on to support the growing demand of EVs doing interstate travel:
EV owners can now drive from Kuala Lumpur to Kota Bharu via Gua Musang with confidence as there are now a total of 6 DC charge points available. In Raya 2024, DC Handal deployed the first DC charger in Gua Musang with a 47kW DC unit with two CCS2 nozzles, making it possible for EVs with shorter batteries to take on this route.
The latest Gentari 200kW DC Charger deployed at G-Orange Mall Gua Musang not only increases EV charging capacity in town, but shortens the DC charging time thanks to its higher power output.
EV owners can also drive to the East Coast with confidence along the LPT highway. Shell Recharge, Gentari and TNB Electron have recently deployed more chargers at several strategic R&R areas. Here’s the list of recommended DC chargers along the LPT route between Kuala Lumpur and Kuala Terengganu:
Eastbound (KL to Kuala Terengganu)
- Temerloh R&R (Eastbound) Shell Recharge 180kW (RM2.20/kWh)
- Gambang R&R (Eastbound) Gentari 180kW (RM1.70/kWh)
- Petronas KM26 (Exit Gambang Tol) Gentari 150kW (RM1.70/kWh)
- Perasing R&R (West/Eastbound) Gentari 150kW (RM1.80/kWh)
- Perasing R&R (West/Eastbound) Shell Recharge 180kW (RM2.20/kWh)
- Paka R&R (Eastbound) TNB Electron 180kW (RM1.50/kWh)
- Paka R&R (Eastbound) Shell Recharge 180kW (RM2.20/kWh)
- Petron Kg Gemuroh (Exit K Terengganu Toll Plaza) TNB Electron 34kW (RM1.35/kWh)
Westbound (Kuala Terengganu to KL)
- Ajil R&R (Westbound) Gentari 150kW (RM1.80/kWh)
- Paka R&R (Westbound) TNB Electron 180kW (RM1.50/kWh)
- Paka R&R (Westbound) Shell Recharge 180kW (RM2.20/kWh)
- Perasing R&R (West/Eastbound) Gentari 150kW (RM1.80/kWh)
- Perasing R&R (West/Eastbound) Shell Recharge 180kW (RM2.20/kWh)
- Petronas KM26 (Exit Gambang Toll Plaza) Gentari 150kW (RM1.70/kWh)
For those continuing their journey from Kuala Terengganu to Kota Bharu, there’s also a TNB Electron 100kW DC Charger at Petron Selising.
In Kota Bharu itself, there are currently two 180kW DC Chargers located at two Petronas stations at Padang Tembak and Pasir Pekan which are perfect for a quick top up. Most EVs should be able to get up to 80% charge within 30 minutes.
If you prefer to charge your car while shopping, there’s a TNB Electron 47kW DC Charger located at Aeon Mall Kota Bharu. During our stay in Kota Bharu, we even did AC charging at Troika Kota Bharu which can be activated without any apps. Just scan the QR code and pay via eWallet.
Other DC chargers in Kota Bharu include ChargeSini’s 60kW DC Charger at Mydin Kubang Kerian which was deployed last year. You’ll also find DC chargers at two Proton dealerships.
Myth 3: You need to waste 2-3 hours to queue for EV chargers
“You’ll have to wait 2-3 hours for chargers, EV drivers will fight for charger“
During our EV road trip, we only did one DC charging top up for each trip to travel from Kuala Lumpur to Kota Bharu and from Kota Bharu to Kuala Lumpur.
When we stopped at Gua Musang, there were no queues at the two DC charging location. It only took us 13 minutes to charge the Kia EV6 from 35% to 80% with a peak rate of 189kW, made possible by the 800V architecture and there are no other EVs plugged in.
During our trip back via Kota Bharu to Kuala Lumpur via Kuala Terengganu, we also stopped by several DC charging locations such as Petron Kg Gemuroh, Ajil R&R Westbound, Paka R&R Westbound, Perasing R&R Westbound and all of them had no queue.
On the return leg, we charged at the new Gentari 150kW DC Charger at Perasing R&R and we charged from 11-80% in 22 minutes.
While most people might argue that a full tank of petrol takes 5 minutes to fill, many tend to factor in the extra time needed to go to the toilet. From our observation, several petrol stations had queues and the situation gets worse if a driver hogs the fuel pump to go to the toilet or to visit the store.
With an EV, you can plug in and do other things while the car is being charged. By the time you’re done, your EV is good to go.
Of course… there’s room for improvement and authorities need to step in
While Malaysia’s EV infrastructure has made a lot of progress in the past couple of years, there are definitely challenges that need to be addressed not just by the Charge Point Operators but also the authorities including the regulators.
Similar to telecommunications, there’s also a constant need to upgrade the EV infrastructure to cope with demand and several locations are in dire need of an upgrade. For example, the popular 50kW DC Charger at Gambang R&R Westbound is is the worst charger on LPT as it can only charge a measly 50kW to one EV at a time. This is the perfect location to make a viral video of a long queue for EV charging.
The setbacks could be due to either regulatory or power constraints. For this location, EV owners can turn to Gentari’s 150kW DC Charger at Petronas KM26 Gambang as an alternative.
Besides hardware upgrades, some chargers have been deployed for a long time but they are not turned on. One EV charging location in question is Shell Recharge at Temerloh R&R Westbound on LPT. The 180kW DC Charger has been deployed since mid-2024 but it has yet to turn on. During our visit, you can tell that the charger has been sitting unused for a long time and even the plastic sheet is disintegrating away.
This situation can also be seen on the West Coast on Peninsular Malaysia. At Gurun R&R Northbound and Southbound, there are TNB Electron DC chargers deployed and appear ready to go but they are still not turned on today.
A year ago, Seremban R&R Southbound was announced as Malaysia’s first EV Hyperstation but there hasn’t been any progress a year later. Fortunately, there are two 180kW DC Charge Points in the location deployed by Gentari and Shell Recharge.
Meanwhile, some cities such as Kuala Terengganu are seen as unfriendly for EVs as they lack high-powered DC chargers. The Terengganu state capital’s largest charging hub at Mayang Mall was shut down recently, leaving just a handful of low-powered DC charge points to serve EV drivers.
If Malaysia wants to accelerate EV adoption, more attention is needed on the EV charging infrastructure. This is to ensure a smoother and faster deployment to keep up with demand.
