Charge+, Tenaga to offer charging to EV drivers on both sides of Causeway

FROM 2024, users of Singapore-based Charge+ will be able to charge their cars across the Causeway too, at charge points operated by Malaysia’s state-owned power company Tenaga Nasional.

Similarly, Tenaga users from Malaysia will be able to use Charge+ charging points in Singapore.

This is under an agreement signed between electric vehicle (EV) charge point operator Charge+ and Tenaga, at the latter’s Energy Transition Conference in Kuala Lumpur on Monday (Aug 28).

Singapore Charge+ users will be able to locate Tenaga charging points and make payment through their existing Charge+ app. A feature to book charging points ahead of arrival is also in the works.

Charge+ chief executive Goh Chee Kiong said that the cross-border charging service will begin in early 2024, with the specific date to be confirmed.

Tenaga is building its own EV charging network – named TNB Electron – in Malaysia.

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It has three direct current fast chargers along the North-South Highway at Tapah, Ayer Keroh and Paka. Five more charge points along the highway will be completed by the end of the year.

Singapore EV drivers can currently use charge point operator Go by City Energy in Malaysia. It provides access to 50 locations with 118 charge points through partnerships with Malaysia operators EV Connection and Gentari.

Tenaga’s charging network is not as wide as its competitors’, but Charge+’s Goh said the move is still a key development in the company’s regional ambitions.

“Tenaga aims to be a major player and is now putting considerable resources to building up its network in Malaysia,” he said.

Tenaga has said it aims to deploy 3,300 charging points across Malaysia by 2025, and 18,000 points by 2030.

EV dealers in Singapore welcomed the move, saying it will help convince local drivers to switch to EVs.

Vynn Tu, general manager for Renault and Alpine for multi-brand dealership Wearnes Automotive, said the move is a positive one as it helps to streamline the process for driving an EV up to Malaysia.

“A common concern for EV owners is the uncertainty of charging availability in Malaysia and difficulty making payments. If they can use a familiar platform to pre-plan travel routes with known charger locations, it will help make driving an EV there easier,” she said.

The agreement with Tenaga follows other agreements that Charge+ has signed with state-owned utility entities in South-east Asia: with the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) in May, and PLN of Indonesia on Aug 21.

Under these agreements, Charge+ users can similarly access and pay for EV charging through the Charge+ app while in those countries. These are part of the operator’s efforts to establish a presence across South-east Asia, including a 5,000 km EV charging highway that will stretch from Singapore to the Vietnamese capital Hanoi.

The EGAT agreement also provides for Charge+ to build and maintain charging networks in Thailand.

The company owns and operates EV chargers in six countries in the region – Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia and Indonesia – and aims to develop those further.