The Malaysian government has unveiled plans to phase out compressed natural gas (CNG)-powered vehicles and halt the sale of natural gas vehicles (NGVs) by July 2025.
Transport Minister Loke Siew Fook confirmed the decision during a recent press conference, citing safety concerns as a key factor.
Currently, there are about 44,383 NGVs on Malaysian roads, representing just 0.2% of the country’s vehicle fleet.
With many of these vehicles reaching the end of their CNG tank’s 15-year service life, the government aims to restore safety by discontinuing the registration of such vehicles.
“The NGV tanks of these vehicles are now reaching the end of their service life and need to be replaced and NGV tanks typically have a safe usage period of 15 years,” Fook said.
Additionally, state-owned oil giant Petronas will gradually stop supplying CNG at its stations, starting July 2025.
The government also cited the high cost of maintaining CNG infrastructure as a factor in the decision to phase out NGVs.