Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB) sealed a deal with SOCAR Mobility Malaysia (SOCAR) in a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to leverage shared demand data on electric vehicle (EV) usage in Malaysia.
The MoU outlines TNB’s plans to leverage SOCAR’s data on vehicle usage and travel behaviour to identify strategic locations along key travel routes for the installation of charging infrastructure. The demand data shared would determine the location, number and type of chargers for installation, including direct current or DC fast chargers.
“TNB supports the e-mobility movement in the transportation sector to encourage higher adoption of EVs in the country. With sustainability embedded in our business agenda, we are ready to work with like-minded partners like DHL Express Malaysia and SOCAR to deploy low carbon mobility initiatives.
“TNB is set to take a leading role in driving EV adoption in Malaysia, especially among fleet management operators, and one of the key steps to achieving this is by establishing more EV charging zones that would be utilised optimally based on known travel routes,” says Datuk Ir. Megat Jalaluddin Megat Hassan, Chief Retail Officer of TNB.
He says the recent collaboration with SOCAR is more extensive, compared to TNB’s initial partnership back in December 2019 when TNB became the enabler for SOCAR’s first two EV zones in Cyberjaya with the introduction of the first-ever EVs in their fleet.
“Together, we are confident in fostering more interest from other players in the EV infrastructure ecosystem to achieve a robust synergistic business environment that would benefit the EV community at large,” says Megat.
SOCAR, with its fleet expertise and rich data resources, aims to expand its fleet by up to hundreds of EVs in the next two to three years. This includes rolling out up to 50 EV zones by the end of 2022.
By offering EVs on its car-sharing platform, SOCAR aims to introduce the EV lifestyle to the masses by making EVs more accessible, addressing the oft-cited barrier of cost holding back drivers who have considered switching to EVs.
SOCAR’s comprehensive database of car-sharing usage will form the foundation for selecting EV models for the rollout and the locations of new EV zones, based on driving preferences and vehicle usage styles among Malaysians. In turn, this effort to enable positive EV driving experiences is targeted at creating new advocates who will continue the momentum to accelerate EV adoption.
“As a future-centric tech-powered flex mobility provider, we are committed to driving the adoption of sustainable mobility. For us, this means using our platform and resources to enable more drivers to experience the benefits of driving an EV, thus helping them transition from conventional fossil-fuel-powered cars,” says Leon Foong, CEO of SOCAR Mobility Malaysia.
