A Malaysian man recently shared his honest experience after two and a half months of driving a fully electric vehicle (EV), and it’s making quite the case for ditching petrol if your home setup is right.
“Make sure you live in a landed house”
Before jumping into EV life, he advised that two things are non-negotiable:
- You live in a landed property (for home charging setup)
- Your TNB bill is below RM200 monthly (or have solar panels)
Without these, the switch might not be as cost-efficient and you may not enjoy the full savings an EV can offer.
He bought the Proton Emas Premium
With that in mind, he chose to go with the Proton Emas Premium, priced at RM123,000, and even scored a RM4,000 cash rebate.
Proton also throws in a free wallbox charger with EV purchases, making home charging more accessible.
The only extra cost? Installation, which came up to around RM1,100. A small price for long-term convenience.
His charging routine is simple
He drives close to 3,900km every month, and relies entirely on the wallbox charger at home.
Usually, he plugs in the car every two nights, letting it charge overnight.
The battery takes about 5 to 6 hours to reach full capacity, and he just unplugs it in the morning. No stress, no hassle.
Solar keeps his bill low (mostly)
Fortunately, his home is already equipped with solar panels, which means his electricity bill before owning an EV was just RM70 to RM100 a month.
But once he began charging the car regularly, his latest TNB bill jumped to RM416.
Subtracting his usual electricity use, he calculated the actual cost of charging to be around RM316 per month.
So, how much is he really saving?
Here’s a quick breakdown of his monthly and yearly savings after switching to an EV:
- Monthly petrol cost (before EV): RM850
- Monthly EV charging cost (after solar): RM316
- Monthly savings: RM534
- Annual servicing cost (petrol car): RM1,200
- Annual servicing cost (EV): RM250
- Servicing savings: RM950
- Estimated total savings per year: RM7,350
He admits this amount may not seem huge to everyone.
But for many households, RM7K+ in savings is nothing to sneeze at.
And yes, it handles long drives too
While many assume EVs are only good for city driving, he’s already taken his on a long-distance trip to Johor Bahru.
The only stop he needed? A quick 30-minute battery top-up at Pagoh, and he completed the trip without any range anxiety at all.
Best suited for city use
Still, he believes EVs shine best when used in urban areas or for short commutes, especially when you can charge from home every two days without needing to rely on public chargers.
Worried about battery lifespan? Don’t be
Another common concern is the cost of battery replacement, but he reassures that most EV batteries today are built to last up to 1 million km or about 50 years, based on current data.
So realistically, you’ll probably change your car before needing a new battery.
Final advice: Install solar first if needed
For those whose TNB bills are already above RM400, he strongly recommends investing in solar panels first before buying an EV.
He’s even shared a separate post about his full solar panel setup for anyone curious to learn more.
TL;DR:
If you live in a landed home, have solar panels, and drive a lot every month, switching to an EV could save you thousands a year.
But if you’re staying in a condo or already paying a high electricity bill, you might want to hold off, at least for now.
