EV Road Tax in Malaysia: How the 2026 kW-Based Rates Work

For several years, battery-electric vehicles in Malaysia enjoyed a full road-tax exemption — a policy incentive to accelerate EV adoption. That exemption ended on 31 December 2025. From 1 January 2026, every battery-electric car registered in Malaysia is subject to road tax, but the rate is not calculated the way conventional car road tax is. There is no engine cc, no Peninsular-versus-Sabah/Sarawak split, no saloon/non-saloon distinction. Instead, the rate depends entirely on one number: the motor power output in kilowatts (kW) as stated on your Vehicle Ownership Certificate (VOC). This guide explains how the 11 power bands work, works through a concrete example for a mainstream EV, and shows how EV road tax compares to an equivalent petrol car.

Why kilowatts, not cubic centimetres?

Conventional petrol and diesel cars have road tax tied to engine displacement (cc) because cc is a rough proxy for a combustion engine's energy output and environmental footprint. Electric motors have no displacement — they are rated in kilowatts of continuous or peak power. Using kW gives the tax a consistent basis across all EV makes and models: a small city EV with 60 kW pays less than a performance saloon with 350 kW, which is the same logic as a 1,000 cc petrol car paying less than a 3,000 cc one.

The gazette covering the new structure was issued by the Ministry of Transport (Kementerian Pengangkutan) and reported by motoring publications including paultan.org (7 January 2026) and motorist.my. The rates below are sourced from that reporting of the gazetted figures. As always with this site, treat these as educational estimates and confirm with JPJ or the MyJPJ app before renewing.

The 11 power bands — how they are structured

Each band has a base rate that covers the floor of the band, plus a fixed increment charged per started 10 kW (meaning any fraction of a 10 kW block above the floor counts as a full block) above that floor. The first four bands — covering the overwhelming majority of production EVs — are:

Up to 50 kW

RM 20 flat

51–100 kW

+ RM 10 per 10 kW

Max band 1 (100 kW)

RM 70

Band 1 floor (≤ 50 kW)

RM 20

Band 1 covers EVs up to 100 kW. The flat RM20 applies up to 50 kW. From 51 kW to 100 kW, RM10 is added per started 10 kW block, reaching a maximum of RM70 at 100 kW.

Band 2: 100.1–210 kW

RM 80 base

Increment

+ RM 20 / 10 kW

Max band 2 (210 kW)

RM 300

Band 3: 210.1–310 kW

RM 305 base

Band 2 runs from 100.1 kW to 210 kW — this is where most mainstream EVs sit, including popular models like the BYD Atto 3 (150 kW), Volvo EX30 (200 kW), and many others. The base is RM80, and each started 10 kW block above 100 kW adds RM20.

Band 3 (210.1–310 kW) starts at a base of RM305 with RM30 per 10 kW. Band 4 (310.1–410 kW) starts at RM615 with RM50 per 10 kW, reaching RM1,065 at 410 kW. Higher bands continue climbing — increments of RM100, RM150, RM200, RM250, RM300, and RM350 per 10 kW in successive bands — up to a flat cap of RM20,000 for EVs above 1,010 kW, a threshold no current production car reaches.

Worked example: a 150 kW EV (BYD Atto 3 class)

A 150 kW EV — such as the BYD Atto 3 Standard Range — sits in Band 2. The calculation is:

1. Band 2 base covers the first 10 kW above 100 kW (i.e., up to 110 kW): RM80.
2. From 110.1 kW to 150 kW there are four more started 10 kW blocks (110→120, 120→130, 130→140, 140→150): 4 × RM20 = RM80.
3. Total: RM80 + RM80 = RM160 per year (approximately RM13 per month).

Motor output

150 kW

Band

Band 2

Base rate

RM 80

4 × RM 20 increment

RM 80

Annual road tax

RM 160

Monthly equivalent

≈ RM 13

A 160 kW EV in the same band pays RM80 + 5 × RM20 = RM180/year. For context, most mainstream EVs sold in Malaysia — ranging roughly from 60 kW city cars to 310 kW performance models — pay somewhere between RM40 and RM965 per year, depending on their motor output.

How EV road tax compares to petrol

One of the selling points of the new kW-based system is that EV road tax is substantially lower than petrol-car road tax for similar performance levels. A petrol car with enough power to match a 150 kW EV in straight-line terms would typically have an engine well above 2,000 cc, and Peninsular Malaysia road tax for a 2,000 cc saloon runs to roughly RM380–RM490/year depending on the exact formula band. The same EV pays RM160. Across most of the power range, EVs pay roughly 80–85% less road tax than a petrol car of equivalent performance — a meaningful saving over the ownership period.

Unlike petrol-car road tax, the EV rate is also uniform nationwide: there is no Peninsular vs Sabah/Sarawak rate difference, no saloon vs non-saloon distinction, and no private vs company split. The kW output is the only variable.

Electric motorcycles

The same gazette also sets road tax for electric motorcycles, though these are not covered by the EV Road Tax Calculator. The rates are modest: motorcycles up to 7.5 kW start at RM2, and the cap for motorcycles above 40 kW is RM42/year. If you own an electric scooter or motorcycle, confirm the precise band with JPJ.

How to find your EV's motor output (kW)

The official figure used for road-tax assessment is the kW value stated on your Vehicle Ownership Certificate (VOC / Sijil Hak Milik Kenderaan), issued by JPJ. Two practical ways to find it:

• MyJPJ app — log in with your IC number, select your vehicle, and the registered motor output (kW) is shown in the vehicle details screen. This is the most reliable figure to use when calculating your road tax.
• Physical VOC — the document JPJ issues when you register the car. The motor power field shows the kW figure.
• Manufacturer spec sheets — these can be a starting point for research, but the number that matters for JPJ is whatever is on the VOC, which may differ slightly from a manufacturer's published peak-power figure depending on how the car was registered.

If you drive a dual-motor (AWD) EV, the road tax is assessed on the combined output of both motors. For example, a dual-motor car with 150 kW front and 200 kW rear is treated as a 350 kW vehicle. Check your VOC figure rather than adding up the manufacturer's individual-motor specs, as JPJ registration may use a different figure.

Frequently asked questions

Does the road-tax rate change if I drive in Sabah or Sarawak?

No. EV road tax is uniform nationwide. Petrol and diesel cars have different rate schedules for East Malaysia, but the EV kW-based structure has no regional split.

My EV was bought before 2026 — do I still pay?

Yes. The exemption ended for all EVs on 31 December 2025 regardless of when the car was purchased or registered. Road-tax liability under the new structure started on 1 January 2026.

Is there a discount for EVs at renewal, like there was for hybrid cars?

The gazette defines the rate structure. Any additional incentive or discount beyond the published band rates would need to be confirmed with JPJ or the relevant ministry at the time of renewal — no standing discount has been reported for the 2026 EV road-tax regime.

My car is a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) — does this apply to me?

The kW-based structure covers battery-electric vehicles (BEV) — cars that run entirely on electricity with no combustion engine. Plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) and mild hybrids have an internal combustion engine and continue to pay road tax based on engine cc under the conventional schedule. If your car has both an engine and a plug, the cc-based rate still applies.

Calculate your EV road tax and explore related costs

Use the EV Road Tax Calculator to enter your motor output in kW and see your annual and monthly road-tax cost instantly — the calculator applies all 11 bands directly. If you are also buying an EV and want to understand the stamp-duty and legal-fee costs on the purchase financing, the stamp duty and legal fees guide covers the full upfront cash outlay for any property or vehicle purchase transaction in Malaysia.