Yinson’s growth charge

KUALA LUMPUR: Yinson Holdings Bhd’s clean technology arm, Yinson GreenTech, is stepping up the expansion of its electric vehicle (EV) charging business, chargEV, as rising EV adoption fuels demand for public charging infrastructure across Malaysia.

EV charging and leasing managing director Kelvin Soon said the company plans to add another three to four charging locations along the North-South Expressway this year, following the launch of the chargEV 2.0 mobile application yesterday.

“We’re expanding beyond commercial office buildings, where people can conveniently charge their vehicles while at work. More importantly, we’re focusing on locations along major highways, particularly the North-South Expressway.

“This year alone, we’re looking to add another three to four charging locations along the highway. With more travel expected next year, these remain our key focus areas,” he told reporters, yesterday.

Yinson GreenTech launched chargEV 2.0, a refreshed mobile app aimed at enhancing the EV charging experience, as its chargEV network surpassed one million charging sessions since the company acquired the business in 2022.

While potential geopolitical risks, including US tariffs, remain, Soon said Malaysia’s EV market has been encouraging, supporting the company’s continued expansion of its charging network across Peninsular Malaysia.

He cited the doubling of charging transactions in June from May as an encouraging sign of demand, while noting that the long-term outlook remains too early to determine.

“The latest numbers have been promising and we’ll continue to monitor that trend over the coming months,” he said.

In retrospect, Soon noted that encouraging EV demand stems from continued growth in EV adoption, which rose year-on-year last year.

“We also see more EV owners travelling on highways, particularly during festive and holiday periods when they return to their hometowns. That gives us confidence that charging demand will continue to increase,” he explained.

Yinson GreenTech noted in a statement that the launch of chargEV 2.0 is supported by continued network upgrades and expansion across Malaysia.

“This includes strengthening high-traffic sites, improving charger availability at existing locations and expanding into areas where charging access remains limited,” the company noted.

It pointed out that recent deployments of the platform include Merdeka 118, selected Aeon Mall locations, and towns such as Gemas, Raub, Teluk Intan and Kuala Kangsar.

Soon also said in a statement that chargEV had reached the milestone of one million charging sessions.

“It took us about four years to reach our first one million charging sessions. We’re hopeful of reaching the next one million within the next two years,” he added.

He explained that the sessions aim to provide a clearer understanding of how drivers use public charging and where friction exists.

Looking ahead, Soon highlighted Sabah and Sarawak as the company’s next growth area, following its established presence across Peninsular Malaysia.

“It is still too early to say which state we will enter first, as those plans are still being evaluated. We are currently exploring expansion opportunities there,” he said.