[FOR PRINT] 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 as some of the reasons the machines have failed to gain traction in Malaysia.

The government, via Malaysia Automotive Robotics and IoT Institute (MARii), introduced an incentive in December 2023 to encourage Malaysians to buy e-motorcycles.
 

Known as MARiiCas, the incentive came in the form of a RM2,400 rebate on the purchase of selected e-motorcycles to those earning up to RM120,000 a year.

However, the rebate has been discontinued according to a notice on MARii’s website.

Despite their slow start in Malaysia, e-motorcycles have already gained notable traction in another Asean country.

Vietnam reported a robust motorcycle market in the first quarter of this year, driven by rising demand for electric scooters.

A report in Vietnam News said that the popularity of e-motorcycles in the country comes as cities such as Hanoi move forward with plans to curb fossil fuel vehicles in urban centres.

It noted that the Vietnamese capital will impose time-based restrictions on petrol-powered motorcycles within the city’s inner ring road from July 1 this year, with tighter controls expected in following years.

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