Registrations of electric vehicles (EVs) in Malaysia have hit an all-time high, based on the latest Road Transport Department (JPJ) data. A total of 44,813 EVs were registered in 2025, representing 105.7% growth year-on-year compared to 21,789 EVs in 2024.
In December 2025, 8,123 EVs were registered, more than triple the number recorded in December 2024.
The surge comes as Malaysia’s tax holiday for fully imported (CBU) EVs ended on 31 December 2025.
Malaysia EV registrations doubled in 2025
As seen over the past few quarters, EV registrations in Malaysia have more than tripled year-on-year and continue to record the strongest growth of any vehicle fuel segment in the country.
For the full year, EV registrations grew by 105.7%, while petrol hybrid registrations increased by 27.13%. Registrations of petrol vehicles declined slightly by 1.47%, while green diesel registrations slumped further by 12.45%.
Based on a total industry volume of 870,327 vehicles in 2025, EVs accounted for 5.2% of registrations for the full year. However, in December alone, EVs accounted for 8.4% of total registrations.
Top 30 EV models in Malaysia for December 2025
For the month of December, the Proton e.MAS 7 managed to regain its #1 position with a total of 937 units registered. Following closely behind is the Tesla Model Y at #2 with 911 units, and the Tesla Model 3 at #3 with 903 units.
The BYD Sealion 7 takes the #4 spot with 885 units, while the Zeekr 7X has gained strong momentum at #5 with 679 units. The list continues with the BYD Atto 3 at #6 (500 units), the BYD Seal 6 at #7 (455 units), and the BYD Atto 2 at #8 (443 units).
Chery’s iCaur 03 is still holding the #9 spot with 276 units, followed by the Denza D9 with 198 units. Proton also started customer deliveries of the e.MAS 5 late last month and the fully electric hatchback sits at #13 with 169 units.
In case you’re wondering, the Perodua QV-E didn’t make the Top 30 list, as it only had 20 registrations last month. In total, there were only 38 registrations for the Perodua EV in 2025.
Top 30 EV models in Malaysia from January to December 2025
For the full year, the Proton e.MAS 7 still emerge as the most popular EV in Malaysia with a total of 8,677 units registered in 2025.
This is followed by the BYD Sealion 7 at #2 with 4,454 units, the Tesla Model Y at #3 with 4,401 units and the BYD Atto 3 at #4 with 4,069 units.
Meanwhile, the Tesla Model 3 is at #5 with 2,880 units and it remains the most popular fully electric sedan in Malaysia.
It is also worth highlighting that the BYD Atto 2, Zeekr 7X and BYD Seal 6, launched in the second half of 2025, have managed to get on the top 10 list for 2025. The BYD Atto 2 is at #6 with 1,779 units while the Zeekr 7X is at #8 with a total of 1,510 units. Meanwhile, the BYD Seal 6 is at #9 with 1,279 units registered.
When it comes to MPVs, the BYD M6 is still the most popular at #7 with 1,683 units.
For the premium MPV segment, the Denza D9 is still the most popular choice at #10 with 1,200 units. This is followed by the Zeekr 009 at #12 with 914 units and the XPeng X9 at #16 with 644 units.
Top 20 EV Brands in Malaysia from January to December 2025
BYD with its wide variety of models remain the #1 EV brand in Malaysia. In December, it achieved a record 2,537 registrations in a single month and 14,407 units for the full year 2025. If we include its Premium sub-brand Denza, the group recorded 15,607 registrations, equivalent to 35% market share.
Proton takes second place with a total of 8,890 EVs registered this year, inclusive of the e.MAS 5.
Meanwhile, Tesla is the #3 EV brand with a total of 7,282 units. In December, it achieved a new monthly record registration with 1,814 units.
Zeekr has gotten a huge boost with the introduction of the Zeekr 7X and the premium Geely brand is at #4 with 2,560 units. Meanwhile, Chery is at #5 with 1,545 units which include EV models from both Omoda and iCaur sub-brands.
What to expect in 2026?
While EVs are now considered mainstream, driven by the introduction of more affordable models, the question remains whether this momentum can be sustained into 2026 without the CBU tax exemptions.
At the time of writing, the government has yet to confirm the new import and excise duty rates for fully imported (CBU) EVs, whereas tax incentives for locally assembled (CKD) units will remain in place until the end of 2027.
So far, Tesla is the only brand that has announced no price hikes for 2026 orders. Customers can still customise their new Tesla orders online at the same price as last year, with deliveries expected to begin in February 2026.
It is also worth highlighting that several brands, including Proton and BYD, have announced CKD plans. This means it is possible for them to continue to offer EVs with tax-exempt pricing to consumers.
In the short term, most brands would still have sufficient 2025 stock to sustain sales over the next few months. We expect EV registration numbers to remain high in the first quarter of the year as consumers take advantage of extra rebates on 2025 models.
