BANGI, Dec 9 (Bernama) -- The Malaysian Green Technology and Climate Change Corporation (MGTC), in partnership with the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), today launched a flagship project to study the potential of electric motorcycle battery-swapping systems in Malaysia.
Funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), the initiative aims to accelerate the adoption of electric motorcycles nationwide. It is part of the GEF-7 UNIDO Accelerating the Adoption and Scale-up of Climate-Smart Transport (AASCT) initiative.
It features 40 electric motorcycles from Blueshark and RydeEV, supported by 29 battery-swapping stations in the Klang Valley. Participating riders from SPX Express, Zalora, Foodpanda, iONS Technology, and the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) will run trials on the system from this month until January 2025.
MGTC Group CEO Shamsul Bahar Mohd Nor said the system will enable riders to swap batteries in minutes, addressing challenges like range anxiety and charging downtime while offering cost-effective leasing and subscription models.
He said that whilst the battery-swapping technology has immense potential, its feasibility in Malaysia needed to be studied in views of some challenges facing its adoption.
"Rider acceptance remains a significant hurdle as many prioritize performance and are accustomed to conventional motorcycles. On top of that, limited station coverage, the lack of standardized batteries as well as high initial infrastructure costs could become barriers to scalability.
"Overcoming these challenges is essential to realise this technology's potential fully. In light of this, we created this demonstration to assess the viability, advantages, and difficulties of switching to electric bikes in Malaysia," Shamsul Bahar said during the project's flag-off event here today.
Meanwhile, Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Ministry's Deputy Secretary General (Environmental Sustainability) Datuk Nor Yahati (rpt: Yahati) Awang highlighted the importance of innovative green mobility solutions in realising Malaysia’s climate commitments.
"It embodies a future where innovation aligns seamlessly with sustainability, with every effort driving us closer to our shared vision of a greener Malaysia and the realization of our net-zero aspirations," she said.
Nor Yahati said that Malaysia is steadfast in its commitment to addressing climate change and achieving a net-zero greenhouse gas emission target by 2050, as outlined in the National Energy Transition Roadmap (NETR).
"The statistics speak for themselves - transportation contributes over 20 per cent of Malaysia’s total greenhouse gas emissions, and motorcycles make up a significant portion of our vehicle population, with nearly 8.5 million active units as of 2023.
"Transitioning to electric motorcycles is not merely an option, it is a necessity if we are to achieve our NETR goals," she added.
-- BERNAMA
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