Anyone wanting to drive from Singapore to Bangkok can do so on nice highways through Malaysia and Thailand. Like other highways around the world, there are petrol stations all along the way so refuelling is not a concern.
The situation is a bit different for those with electric vehicles (EVs) as they need electricity rather than liquid fuel. It is only in the past couple of years that EV sales have started and the need for recharging stations has taken on an urgency. Unless there is a comprehensive network of stations around the country, EV owners will be unable to travel far and this will discourage buying such vehicles.
The private sector has been giving its support to the government’s call to establish this network and Shell Malaysia has collaborated with Porsche Asia Pacific to set up stations not just in Malaysia but also in Singapore and Thailand. The network is along the North-South Expressway in Malaysia and then highways in Thailand, the longest cross-country high-performance charging (HPC) infrastructure EV network in Southeast Asia.
The first Shell Recharge High Performance Charging station in Malaysia was opened in Tangkak earlier this year and since then, 5 more have been opened within 200 kms of each other along the N-S Expressway. Besides the station at Tangkak (South Bound), the others are at Pagoh (North Bound), Simpang Pulai (North Bound), Tapah (South Bound), Seremban (North Bound and (North Bound).
Shell’s ParkEasy app in Malaysia allows motorists to reserve the HPC parking bay up to 60 minutes in advance. Other features include navigation access for EV customers to assist drivers in locating available bays and a parking barrier to ensure the bay’s security while charging.
All the recharging stations have high-performance chargers. The chargers come with two CCS Type 2 charging connectors, allowing a single vehicle to be charged at up to 180 kW, or two vehicles to charge simultaneously at up to 90 kW each. The stronger power supply means that charging time is faster, reducing the wait for the owners. However, the EV’s system must also be able compatible with such chargers.
For a model like the Porsche Taycan, for example, the battery pack can be charged from zero to 80%of its capacity in around 30 minutes, providing up to 390 kms of extra travel distance. How long a vehicle is recharged depends on the owner’s preference although it is unlikely that recharging will be from zero. Quite likely, the battery pack will be ‘topped up’ along the way to keep its capacity maximised. Anyway, there are the Shell SELECT stores at the stations where drinks and snacks are available while waiting.
The charging stations on the N-S Expressway are complemented by 21 locations in Singapore (of which 3 have HPC), and 11 in Thailand (all HPC). Furthermore, Porsche owners will also have the use of HPCs at Porsche Centres in Malaysia (4) and Thailand (3).
It will take a long time before motorists in Asia can drive EVs around the continent the way European motorists can drive around their continent now. But the start has been made with this initiative by Porsche Asia Pacific and Shell to provide the charging stations over 2,200 kms of highway from the southern tip of Peninsular Malaysia up to Bangkok.
