Bomba details guidelines EV charging station installation

Guidelines on EV charging station installation within commercial premises have been submitted by the Malaysian Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM or Bomba) to the Ministry of Housing and Local Government (KPKT).

The new guidelines will be evaluated first before they are officially announced in the near future. The folks over at Bomba have worked closely with other relevant bodies like the Malaysia Architects Association and Zero Emission Vehicle Association (ZEVA) to ensure that the guidelines are within the safe parameters, Bernama reported.

Many things were considered in coming up with the guidelines from vehicle distance, the premise's entry and exit points, and building levels when it comes to EV charging station installation.

This will be the main reference point for all future EV charging station installations for both indoor and outdoor locations. All applications and approval procedures will be scrutinised in order to ensure that none of these stations will potentially become a fire safety hazard.

It's indeed a good guideline to have considering the fact that Malaysia is looking to bump up the number of EV charging stations from the current 1,000+ units to 10,000 by 2025. 

In the meantime, the Fire and Rescue Department has also begun arming its personnel to be able to deal with EV fires with things like special fire extinguishing equipment, including special gloves which have already been a staple in all Bomba vehicles since 2015.