Be bold to develop own expertise in EV industry, Asean nations told

Be bold to develop own expertise in EV industry, Asean nations told

23 Nov 2023

Asean countries should be confident in developing the electric vehicle (EV) industry with their expertise, said the Electric Vehicle Association of Malaysia (EVAM).

Its president, Datuk Dennis Chuah said every country, especially Malaysia, has the expertise to grow its share in the huge Asean regional market of over 650 million and aim to export globally.

“We would like to see local companies being top global suppliers for the EV ecosystem.

“So, with our strength and with the government’s willingness to increase the volume or the players in the Malaysian EV environment, once we can do that, we are on our way to being a proud export-oriented country,” he said at the E-mobility Asia 2023 conference here today.

Electric Vehicle Association of Thailand (EVAT) president Krisda Utamote said it was imperative to establish the right education and training to provide a talented workforce for the EV industry, which is expanding rapidly in Thailand.

He said that in Thailand, the EV sector is booming with companies such as MuvMi which has 600 electric three-wheelers and a targeted revenue of US$5 million (US$1=RM4.677) for 2023.

Electric Vehicle Association of Philippines (EVAP) chairman emeritus Ferdinand Raquelsantos said the Philippine government provides comprehensive training for technicians but knowledge of EVs should start from the school level.

“Not only the school children but parents should also know about electric mobility. This would ensure they appreciate the total EV ecosystem.

“They (parents) still think that EVs are expensive to buy and maintain as a day-to-day transport but the cost of running an EV can be up to 65 per cent cheaper than a conventional vehicle. These are things that we need to teach or educate the people about,” he said.

Meanwhile, Electric Vehicle Association of Singapore (EVAS) representative Leow Ju-Len said the republic has local EV expertise such as in a startup service called Power Up Tech.

“The company provides on-demand DC fast charging services for EVs anywhere within Singapore. The aim is to make it more convenient for EV owners in the republic,” he said.

EMA 2023 is the first edition of its kind and it aims to raise greater awareness and open up various business prospects to companies that intend to get into the EV industry.

Source: Bernama