The struggle of having multiple apps to find electric vehicle (EV) charging bays will soon be over, as The Star reports that PLANMalaysia is developing an app to integrate all charge point operators (CPO) in Malaysia into one single platform.
The new app being developed by PLANMalaysia will help EV users locate every available charging bay in the Country with one app, rather than needing to install multiple different apps for certain charging bays in different locations.
In addition, the app will also feature a unified payment platform, as well as live availability info and even a reservation system, making charging more convenient for EV owners in Malaysia.
Of course, this isn’t the first time that there is such as app that pools together all or most of the EV charging bays in one platform. The EV Roaming Network between JomCharge, Gentari, and ChargEV means you’ll be able to access charging locations from any of the three CPOs, using any of their apps. And while they already cover a large number of chargers in Malaysia, there are still other, perhaps smaller CPOs in Malaysia with chargers at prominent locations.
READ: Johor Premium Outlets to be Southeast Asia’s largest DC charging hub – first public 1 MW charger
The development of the app is already ongoing, with PLANMalaysia currently in active discussions with other organisations such as Malaysian Green Technology and Climate Change Corp (MGTC), as well as the Malaysia Digital Department.
PLANMalaysia notes that trying to integrate various EV charging points belonging to other CPOs will pose a major challenge for the department. “A single app may involve integrating various app interfaces, ensuring that they can communicate seamlessly and that users can access all charging stations regardless of the network,” a spokesperson for PLANMalaysia told the publication.
Additionally, one other challenge that PLANMalaysia will have to take is the real-time and accurate date of EV charging point and availability.
“Any discrepancy in data can frustrate users and undermine trust in the system. As such, the ability to integrate real-time data feeds from each provider and ensure information is updated accurately is essential.” PLANMalaysia added.
READ: Penang to have 600 EV charging bays by end of year – 344 currently active
The Malaysian government has a set goal of 10,000 EV chargers to be built across the country by the end of the year. Currently, according to PLANMalaysia’s public EV charger dashboard, the country has 3,611 charging bays built and fully operational for public use.
Despite being only a third of the way to the target, with nine months remaining in the year, the Minister of Investment, Trade, and Industry (MITI) Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz remains confident that Malaysia is on track to meet the set number of charging stations built by December.
READ: Malaysia on-track to achieve 10,000 public EV chargers by end-2025, says Tengku Zafrul
