By Abdul Hamid A Rahman
KUALA LUMPUR: Although the use of electric vehicles (EVs) for travelling on a long road trip is still uncommon in the country, several EV owners have decided to give it a try by driving the vehicle back to their hometown to celebrate Aidilfitri.
Farhan A Rahim, 45, who drove the vehicle from his house in Bangi, Selangor to his hometown in Kuantan, Pahang, said it was a smooth sailing journey for him.
“Many have asked whether it is okay to take a long road trip such as going back to hometown using an EV. For me, there is no problem,” he told Bernama.
Farhan, an engineer who has been using an EV for almost two years, said travelling in the vehicle is more comfortable for him either for short hauls or long-distance driving.
“This is not my experience driving an EV back to my hometown in Kampung Permatang Badak. At first, I was not confident due to several challenges such as a limited number of charging infrastructure, fear of getting stuck in a traffic jam and lack of service stations.
“However, I managed to reach Kuantan last Saturday (April 30) without difficulty even though I was using alternative roads from Bangi to Kuala Pilah and Kuantan involving about 300-km journey,” he said.
Farhan said taking a road trip in an EV required the owner to make careful planning because an EV driving range depends on a number of factors including how the vehicle is driven and its battery capacity.
“However, using EV is more cost-effective as the cost of charging the vehicles is cheaper than the price of fuel. There are also incentives for EV users,” said Farhan who ‘filled up’ his EV for free at TJM Cars Kuantan.
Sharing similar experience was 29-year-old Amyrul Annas Rosli who celebrated Aidilftitri at his hometown in Bagan Datuk, Perak.
“I headed back to my hometown last week. Despite the heavy flow of traffic, my family and I managed to reach my hometown without any problem and the trip took us more than three hours,” said the vehicle sales advisor.
On the challenges of using EV, Amyrul Annas said although the owners can charge their vehicles at home using a standard three-pin plug, it was so time-consuming.
Therefore, he hoped that more charging stations would be set up in future to facilitate EV users. – Bernama
