Penang: A total of 600 units of Electric Vehicle Charging Bay (EVCB) are expected to be operational in Penang by the end of the year, said State Local Government, Town and Country Planning Committee chairman Jason H’ng Mooi Lye. He said the 300 EVCBs would be in the Penang City Council (MBPP) and the remaining in the Seberang Perai City Council (MBSP) administrative areas.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, MBPP has conducted a study on the location of EVCBs on the island area and due to space constraints, existing parking lots would be used for the purpose, including at the MBPP complex parking area, as well as ‘on-street-parking’ to provide access to the public. H’ng made these remarks after opening the EVCB at Gat Lebuh China, an event also attended by MBPP Mayor Datuk A. Rajendran.

H’ng explained that MBPP had also carried out the Request for Proposal (RFP) process for the installation of the EV chargers, involving 52 units at 26 locations on the island, including Persiaran Karpal Singh, Jalan Concordia, Precinct 10, Lebuh Union, Gat Lebuh China, and Pasar Tanjung Bungah. He stated that all 52 chargers had been installed and were now in the stage of connecting them to the electricity supply by Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB). They are expected to be in operation next month.

He further noted that MBPP was in the process of implementing the second phase of the RFP for the operation of an additional 50 EVCBs at 27 locations by December. Beyond the EVCBs in the MBPP and MBSP administrative areas, shopping malls and commercial area developers have also taken the initiative to install EVCBs in response to the current increase in electric vehicles.

According to H’ng, there are already 261 EVCBs provided by the private sector on the island alone. Consequently, the state government will continue to encourage developers of commercial areas, including housing and shopping malls, to provide EV chargers at EVCBs offered by the government.