INTERACTIVE: E-motorcycles stuck in the slow lane
By SHYAFIQ DZULKIFLI PETALING JAYA: While electric cars continue to gain popularity in Malaysia, e-motorcycles struggle to keep up. Figures from the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) reveal a stark contrast: while electric vehicles (EVs) accounted for 5.15% of the 870,327 cars registered last year, electric models made up just 1.53% of the 704,714 new motorcycles on the road. From 2015 to 2025, electric car adoption expanded at an average annual rate of 95%, rising from 55 units to 44,813. The adoption of e-motorcycles, however, grew at a slower pace of 45% annually, increasing from 262 units in 2015 to 10,781 units in 2025. The gap has continued into this year, with electric cars recording 14,591 registrations as of March 31 compared to just 2,764 e-motorcycles. The Star, in a 2024 report on the lukewarm response to e-motorcycles, quoted customers and industry experts citing limited range - typically around 100km - and low top speeds ...