EVs in Malaysia to get cheaper road tax than petrol diesel cars after 2025; special EV1-9999 number plate

No specifics were given, but Loke said it will be “very affordable and even cheaper than internal combustion engine cars.” For some context, a BYD Atto 3, which retails from RM149,800, will have a road tax of RM903 after 2025. Meanwhile, a similarly-sized HR-V in e:HEV RS guise with a 1.5 litre naturally-aspirated engine is priced at RM140,800, but the applicable road tax is 10 times less at just RM90.

In addition to the matter of road tax, Loke also said a new ‘EV’ number plate series will be issued in the coming months for EVs. This will be similar to number plate series issued in different states, whereby after the starting series of ‘EV1’ to ‘EV9999’ is completed, we will get ‘EVA’, ‘EVB’, ‘EVC’ and so on.

According to the transport minister, these plates will be “RFID-linked” and serve a safety purpose too, as in the event of an accident, emergency responders will know by spotting an ‘EV’ plate that they are dealing with a vehicle that has a high-voltage powertrain that requires specific protocols to deal with safely.