Price Guide on Electric Vehicle Maintenance in Malaysia (2024)

Zero Emissions Vehicle Association (ZEVA) has come out with statistics that revealed that sales of electric vehicles in Malaysia have reached 13,527 units in 2023 alone, combined with the total number of EVs already on the road, it makes up a total of 16,763 units. Despite that, the volume of registered EVs from January 2022 to April 2024 only makes up 1.2% of the pool. Nonetheless, I’m sure a number of the public are still on the fence primarily due to how foreign it may be to maintain an electric vehicle in contrast to a conventional ICE vehicle.

EV manufacturer’s warranty enough to cover your maintenance woes?

The article will cover the top 3 EV car models in terms of popularity following the latest registration data from JPJ:

• BYD Atto 3
• Tesla Model 3
• BMW iX

We can uncover the types of warranty that these EV manufacturers provide when buying into their electric models. Going through their website page diving into their warranty policy, the following table shows some parts of the warranty that are covered. The exclusion of wear and tear parts such as tyres for the warranty seems to be the case for all except for BMW which provides a 24-month warranty replacement.

Although all of the manufacturers state that the condition of the battery and drive unit to be replaced under warranty must be, understandably, due to factors of degradation or naturally induced that impact the driving experience negatively.

• The battery if needed repair will be changed and the battery capacity will be the same as the battery unit replaced

Real-life maintenance costs (Tesla Model 3)

A Tesla Model 3 owner shares his maintenance costs after the end of its warranty period on Facebook under the Malaysian Electric Vehicle Owners Club. The user listed an extensive number of parts and components that he replaced the past 2 years. Among the list were:

• 5 tire rotations, wheel alignment and balancing (RM 270 x 5 = RM 1350)
• Change of set of tires, from Michelin Pilot Sports EV ( RM 1700 apiece) to Pilot Sport 5  ( non EV tire ) = RM 3120
• AC filter change – 1 time = RM 270
• Wiper Changeout – 1 time = RM 89

This brings the total cost of maintenance after 2 years of ownership of the Tesla Model 3 to RM 5829

Real-life maintenance costs (BYD Atto 3)

Similarly, another group on social media Facebook, BYD Owners Club, expressed dissatisfaction with Sime Darby’s maintenance implementation if you don’t opt for their extended service package as previously stated above.  The BYD Atto 3 servicing cost is free for the first time round at which BYD suggests 20,000 km mileage for its preventive maintenance first servicing.

• First preventive maintenance servicing for BYD Atto 3 (20,000 km) – Free
• The following additional 20,000 km servicing costs around RM250-RM300, whereas major component changes could cost up to RM 700 as quoted when contacting BYD Cheras.
• BYD also offers the service packages as written in the table above at RM 562 for every 20,000 km for the initial option of 3 years/ 60,000 km under the Standard package which when contacting BYD Cheras suggests that the package is better off not opted and that costs could be saved there.
• Tyres of the BYD Atto 3 are outfitted with CONTINENTAL EcoContact 6 at 18 inches (235/50 R18) which are RM 878 per piece. 2 sets of these tyres will set you around RM 3512

Additional breakdown of the BYD services

A user on Facebook under the BYD ATTO 3 owners has shared the spreadsheet of the assumed costs to replace following the spread of service interval by BYD.The highest total for a maintenance is of RM 1439.97 at a mileage servicing at 80,000 km.

Real-life maintenance cost BMW iX (xdrive40)

• Pollen Filter and Air Filter: Every 300,000 km or 2 years (RM 480)
• Brake Fluid: Every 300,000 km or 2 years (RM 63)
• Battery Coolant: Lifetime change if replaced
• Tyre Rotation: Check and rotate every 1 year or 160,000 km (RM270)
• Wiper Blades & Windshield Wiper Fluid: Check every 300,000 km or 2 years (RM 82 and RM 23)
• Tyre change (BMW iX uses the Pirelli P Zero Electric)(275/40R22) – RM 1850,00 per piece (Rm 1850,00 x 4 ) = RM 7,400

Breakdown of the parts that require maintenance with comparison to ICE vehicles

EVs share some similarities in parts with ICE vehicles when maintenance is quoted, the difference is down to the frequency at which the components need to be serviced and how many of parts of the vehicle need changing. The service intervals differ between the two.

Future Restructure of EV Road Taxes in Malaysia, It’s 89.4% Cheaper!

It’s been known that the Finance Ministry has boosted its attempts to get wide adoption of EVs in Malaysia by including full exemptions of import duty, road tax as well as sales tax for electric vehicles. However, a recently emerged statement, a new EV road tax structure has been proposed to be effective from January 1, 2026, which highlights:

• Fee of road tax for EVs will be proportional to the power output of the electric motor
• Additional fees are applied following the increase in blocks or watts of power within the power band range the vehicle resides in.

2026 Road Tax EV of Tesla Model 3, BYD Atto 3, BMW iX

Hit The Road, Protected, Insurance Costs For EV

Peace of mind comes from knowing that your brand-new EV is safeguarded by coverage of potential risks on the road. With the steady increase of EV vehicles on the road, insurance companies scramble to uphold policies that benefit the vehicles. The following will be some of the insurance premiums paid by actual users based on their EV brand.

It’s important to note that for EVs’ the insured evaluation is based on:

• Estimated by current market value of the vehicle model itself
• Some insurance companies also base the evaluation on the CC converted by the kWh of the EV, so costs might vary depending on the insurance company provider.

Tesla Model 3 (Standard Range) Insurance payable

The calculations are based on the estimated value of the Tesla Model 3 which has an estimated value of RM 205,000

• RM 6933.67 at 0% NCD rate with additional premium of special perils and windscreen.
• At 55% NCD the has a discounted deductible of RM 2,725.96
• With the additional option of costs of special perils (RM 462.38) and Windscreen Relief (RM 1500) and emergency services (RM 15.00), costs add up to a total payable of RM 4024.16.

2023 BYD ATTO 3 (Standard Range) and BMW iX (Xdrive40) Insurance payable

The insurance average of the EVs listed are based on a comprehensive coverage type under Peninsular Malaysia with 0% NCD. This is based on my call with Etika Insurance company which quoted that the average insurance premium cost without the additional options such as windshield damage and special perils is as follows:

MALAYSIA’S HUMID WEATHER AFFECTING THE PERFORMANCE OF YOUR EV?

Fret not, the weather in Malaysia has minimal effect on the performance of your EV. This is further strengthened by recent research that tallied the range loss of only 5% when reaching temperatures of 32 °C which is the average highest of how hot it can get in Malaysia, across its database of connected EV users. Correspondingly, in many areas like the EV, ICE vehicles also suffer similarly from excessive heat.

• Best to minimize parking in direct harsh sunlight conditions if you plan on leaving the EV for prolonged periods, keeping the battery temperatures cool to perform at optimal efficiency

Battery charge habits that are good for your EV

With LFP batteries it’s best to keep the charge of the EV around the range of 40-60% SOC and above 80% only when planning for long trips, preserving the battery lifespan from faster degradation. However, in the case of not driving your EV for months on end, keeping your EVs SOC (State of charge) to a range of 20-50% will put less stress on the battery. For more tips on extending your battery life, keep reading here for additional information

Own a wall box charger at home? That too requires some maintenance!

There are a few things that you can do to keep your wall box charger at home in good working condition:

• Regular cleaning of the exterior to remove dust and debris
• Status monitoring when charging, note any abnormality when charging and call for a certified professional.

Don’t own a wall box and looking to install one for your EV? Look no further than Energi Elite which offers a comprehensive quotation on installation with your choice of EV wall box charger. With positive testimonials from our customers, rest assured of the quality work Energi Elite provides. Don’t take my word for it? Take it from a few of our many satisfied customers below:

Conclusion

The costs of owning an EV are generally becoming better with price reconstructs of road tax after its exemption starting in 2026 and long spaced-out service intervals that are considerably cheaper than ICE counterparts. Proper maintenance of an EV ensures that it remains as a smart investment at running lower costs when driving down the roads of Malaysia. Ultimately it boils down to your pockets, with different models to choose from based on your purchasing budget, EVs are a breath of fresh air, and it doesn’t reek of higher maintenance costs as you’d probably expect.