Singapore Van Charged in Malaysia Without Paying?
Back in March, Singapore’s EY‑under‑the‑hood drivers were seen stashing Ron95 petrol in their cars – a brand just up for Malaysian fans. That got the internet’s ire, so a Singapore‑registered BYD M3 hopped over to a Shell charging hub in Tangkak, Malaysia, and the story exploded like a meme‑cat on the web.
Spotlight on Shell’s First High‑Speed Charging Spot
- Two 80 kW DC fast‑chargers
- CCS Type 2 connectors (the “Mighty Motors” plug, if you will)
- Launched as Malaysia’s premiere high‑performance charging sweet‑spot
How the System Catches and Charges EVs
- Pay‑per‑use – you book a spot for as long as you want, then pay for the time, no fuss about kWh.
- ParkEasy app unlocks the barrier, letting you stake out your lane.
- Once you’re parked, the charging lights fire up and the meter starts ticking.
Note! The van in the story was parked in one of the two slots, yet its barriers stayed up – that’s what flared the political fire. “The guy was apparently taking the charge for free,” was the dominant internet takeaway.
Shell Malaysia’s Shairan Huzani Gives a Gentle Word of Warning
To quell the chaos, Shairan posted a photo on Instagram, urging EV drivers to keep the “t-thanks & money” rule in mind. The post basically read, “You’re the hero if you do your part. Let’s keep charging rolls tidy.”
Breakdown of the Fee Structure
- RM 4 reservation confirmation
- RM 20 per every 5‑minute block for the first 25 minutes
- RM 20 for every 5 minutes thereafter
- So, a whole hour in the slot costs roughly RM 244 (about S$78) – az‑amazingly, no hidden charges.
Why the Alleged Free‑Rider?
Our opinion? No, that Singapore driver wasn’t actively stealing the charge. More likely, a glitch let the barrier stay stuck. Hum… software hiccup or bad gate helpers, who knows?
Lowyat.net Tries the Experiment on Their Own
Tech site Lowyat.net didn’t stop there – they queued up, replicated the incident, and found Shell’s set‑up to be a bit open to tampering. They argued that while some stations are staffed to help, a system overhaul might finally solve the “free‑fare” shenanigans.
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For now, the key takeaway: When you’re parked, pay the charge, don’t stall the system, and keep the bag of coins for the go‑away fees. Else, you’re likely to be trending on Twitter for a not‑so‑fun charge‑charge story.
