Malaysia’s new charge point operator (CPO) DC Handal has started to switch on its DC fast chargers in the Klang Valley. One of its early EV charging locations is at The Vertical, Bangsar South where they have deployed a 100kW Kempower DC charger with two nozzles. We’ve tried the charger today and here’s what you need to know.
DC Handal 100kW Kempower DC Charger
To recap, DC Handal exclusively operates a network of DC chargers which allows EV owners to fast charge their vehicles in a short period of time. Unlike typical EV chargers which require an app to activate, you can activate DC Handal chargers via a contactless payment card. This means you can tap your credit, debit and prepaid cards to start and stop charging. Yes, that also includes Apple Pay, Samsung Pay and Google Pay.
As seen in other locations, DC Handal chargers are priced at RM1.50 per kWh which is comparable to several DC chargers on Gentari’s network. With kWh-based pricing, this is a fairer way to charge users, especially for those driving an EV that has a slower supported DC charging speed. This particular charger is located on the ground floor near Lazada HQ and it is across the street from Kenangan Coffee. To access the charger, you’ll need to drive towards the back around Vertical Corporate Tower B.
How to activate DC Handal chargers?
To activate the DC charger via a contactless card, you can start by tapping on the card panel to select the charging nozzle number which is labelled on the CCS2 connector. You will then be asked to leave your phone number (optional) if you wish to get a notification and receipt.
Similar to paying for petrol at a pump, the card terminal will require a pre-authorisation of RM75 from your card. This may not be an issue for credit card users but this means that DC Handal will be deducting RM75 upfront from your card before it starts charging your EV.
Like other Kempower chargers, the DC charging unit comes with a user-friendly display that shows not only your charging rate but also your charging graph. You can also view the charging status remotely on your smartphone by scanning a QR code that’s displayed on the screen.
Before charging, the DC charger showed 100kW available for 800V and 80kW for 400V vehicles. When we charged an 800V-based Kia EV6, we only got a maximum of 90kW and the other available nozzle is showing 50kW of charging capacity available.
The 90kW rate we got is still pretty quick and our short 5-minute charging session to charge from 44-52% (7.63kWh) cost RM11.45. Assuming you can get a consistent 90kW rate, a quick 10-minute charge is enough to provide about 100km of range (15kWh per 100km) for RM23. To stop charging, you can tap on the touch screen and end the charging session. To verify that it’s you, you’ll have to tap the same payment card again to stop the charger.
If you’ve entered your phone number, you’ll receive an SMS informing you of the final charging cost as well as the final state of charge (battery percentage). It has been about 10 hours since we stopped charging, and we still haven’t received the pre-authorisation refund on our TNG Visa Prepaid card. Hopefully, DC Handal can speed up the refund process so that users can get their balance back quicker.
If you want to avoid the pre-authorisation process, DC Handal chargers can also be activated via JomCharge and ChargEV apps through a roaming agreement. With the app, your saved card will only be charged after the EV charging session is completed.
The DC charger is located within the parking zone of Bangsar South which charges RM2 per hour between 12am to 5.59pm from Monday to Friday. Parking costs a flat rate of RM2 during the weekends as well as after 6pm on a weekday.
Interestingly, several DC Handal chargers are co-branded with BMW and Auto Bavaria. There are no details yet on the partnership between the two brands but we are guessing it could be a collaboration similar between BMW with JomCharge and ChargEV.
Related reading
- DC Handal: Charging rates for Malaysia’s new EV fast-charging network revealed
- Malaysia has a new EV charge point operator that exclusively offers DC fast charging
- How to travel long-distance with an Electric Vehicle in Malaysia? | EV Guide
- What is EV Charging Curve and why you shouldn’t DC fast charge beyond 80%? | Let’s Talk about #128
