Chinese automotive giant BYD is partnering with Gentari, the clean energy arm of Malaysia’s national oil company Petronas, to develop fast-charging infrastructure as the Southeast Asian country races to expand its electric vehicle charging network.
BYD Malaysia and Gentari signed a memorandum of understanding on October 21 in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen to support the development and deployment of high-power EV charging infrastructure in Malaysia, BYD Malaysia and Gentari said in a statement.
The partnership could help accelerate Malaysia’s EV charging rollout after the country fell well short of an earlier target of 10,000 public chargers by the end of 2025. With only 6,416 chargers in place as of the end of May, Malaysia faces a steep climb to reach its new target of 30,000 by 2030.
The infrastructure gap is becoming more pressing as EV adoption accelerates. Malaysia recorded 53,537 new EV registrations in the first nine months of 2026, up 98.8% from a year earlier. The government has been looking for ways to accelerate the rollout. Investment, trade, and industry minister Johari Abdul Ghani said in August that Malaysia was considering a levy on each EV sold to help fund expansion of the public charging network, according to local media.
BYD’s technology could help address part of that challenge. Its Flash Charging system can add about 400 kilometers of driving range in just five minutes for compatible vehicles under optimal conditions. BYD and its luxury Denza models can charge from 10% to 70% in five minutes and to 97% in nine minutes, approaching the time it takes to refuel a conventional gasoline-powered car.
The system has a maximum charging rate of 1,500 kilowatts through a single connector. Each charger has two connectors and can charge two vehicles simultaneously at up to 1,000 kW each.
“BYD has been investing in advanced charging technology to address one of the key considerations for EV users, which is charging time,” said Liu Xueliang, vice president of BYD and general manager of the auto sales division at BYD Asia Pacific. “We are now taking this technology beyond our home market [in China] and expanding its reach to more international markets.”
The agreement is an “important milestone” in opening the door for cooperation on renewable energy and storage and could help develop Malaysia’s EV charging infrastructure, said a Kuala Lumpur-based automotive analyst for an investment bank who declined to be named. “But [it] is not a commitment to build a network yet,” said the analyst.
Under the memorandum, BYD and Gentari will identify potential locations for the fast-charging infrastructure, including along key intercity corridors linking major population centers. They will also assess power infrastructure and battery storage requirements, as well as commercial viability and potential operating models.
Gentari operates more than 600 EV charging points in Malaysia and provides access to about 18,000 charging points in total across Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and India through its Gentari Go Roaming Hub.
“Speed is one part of that equation,” said Sushil Purohit, group CEO of Gentari. “Drivers also need chargers in the right places, backed by reliable power and dependable operations. BYD’s leadership in EV, battery and high-power charging technology, combined with Gentari’s experience in developing and operating EV charging networks, gives us a strong foundation to strengthen Malaysia’s EV charging ecosystem and support wider adoption.”
For BYD, better charging infrastructure would also support its own expansion in Malaysia, where it has been deepening its presence as demand for electric vehicles grows.
The Chinese automaker recently opted to assemble vehicles locally through Inokom, part of Malaysian conglomerate Sime Darby, rather than proceed with plans for its own plant. The shift gives BYD a local manufacturing base without having to build one from scratch, while a wider and faster charging network could help support sales as it expands in the Malaysian market.
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But BYD’s technology alone will not solve Malaysia’s charging infrastructure bottlenecks. High installation costs, uneven distribution and a lengthy approval process have slowed the rollout, the investment bank analyst said. Charging operators face complicated processes involving local authorities, utilities, regulators and highway concessionaires, while bottlenecks involving electricity supplier Tenaga Nasional have also been a factor.
Approval for installing charging stations can take one to three months in Malaysia, compared with about one month in Singapore, the analyst said.
“The government needs to set clear timelines and a coordinated process across regulators, local councils, utilities, landowners and highway operators,” the analyst said.
Reaching the 30,000-charger target alone, however, would not guarantee a better charging experience, the analyst cautioned.
“Track services, not only installations. Reliability, ease of use, price, and a positive experience are more important than just the number of chargers installed,” he added.
This article first appeared on Nikkei Asia. It has been republished here as part of 36Kr’s ongoing partnership with Nikkei.