The transport minister has sought industry-based input from the private sector and development partners, as the ministry begins to draft its strategic development policy for electric vehicles (EV) to attract more investors.
Speaking at the inauguration of his ministry’s second EV charging station on March 26, Minister for Public Works and Transport Sun Chanthol said that there is a need to invest in more EV charging stations to attract investors, noting simply that “EV buyers will not want to purchase a car without a place to charge it”.
He said the lack of charging stations is currently a significant problem for the industry in Cambodia.
“We want to seize this opportunity to spread the word among Cambodians about the use of EVs, and to reach out to investors about investing in … charging stations across the country. When we have [sufficient] charging stations across the country, then we can encourage Cambodians to buy this type of car,” he said.
Chanthol said that achieving the goal of a developed EV industry requires the collaborative participation of ministries, institutions and stakeholders to properly formulate and implement policies. He added that the ministry would be looking into strategic measures that will encourage the use of EVs, such as the infrastructure for the safe disposal and recycling of batteries.
Director-general of the ministry’s General Department of Land Transport Chhoun Voun noted that the number of registered EVs in Cambodia has risen dramatically this year. Only two EVs were registered in the Kingdom in 2020, increasing to 62 in 2021. Meanwhile in 2022, registered EVs have already reached 47 units just three months into the year.
Chanthol said the ministry had recently met with investors who indicated their readiness to invest in 10 EV charging stations across the country, while petrol company Tela has been “discussing” strategies and procedures to install charging stations.
Rival company PTT has agreed to install two EV charging stations along the Phnom Penh-Sihanoukville Expressway before the end of this year, and Caltex will launch charging kiosks in its stations on April 26.
He added that UN Development Programme (UNDP) Cambodia has provided four power stations to the country, one of which was located in the ministry, with the rest in Battambang, Siem Reap and Sihanoukville.
The government has stated that its 2050 goal is to achieve 40 per cent of all cars and 70 per cent of all motorcycles as EVs, in accordance with its Strategy for Carbon Neutrality 2050.
