GEORGE TOWN: Prasarana Malaysia Bhd, through its subsidiary Rapid Bus Sdn Bhd, will begin replacing ageing Rapid Penang buses with electric vehicles starting this year.
Transport minister Loke Siew Fook said a total of 240 electric buses would be acquired in two phases, with 75 units under the first phase expected to arrive and begin operations from May.
The procurement of 165 electric buses for the second phase will commence this year and is expected to be completed by the end of 2027.
“To ensure the smooth operation of these EV buses, the government, through Prasarana, is developing EV charging infrastructure at Rapid Penang depots, and this process has already begun,” he said at a press conference after an inspection of Rapid Penang’s diesel bus operations here today.
Chief minister Chow Kon Yeow was present.
Loke said the move was in line with Prasarana’s new direction, focussing on the use of environmentally friendly buses to reduce carbon emissions and enhance the quality of public transport services.
He expressed confidence that the introduction of electric buses would be a game changer for Penang’s public transport system and further support the state government’s aspiration to make Penang a more environmentally sustainable state.
He said Rapid Penang would also receive the remaining 60 of 70 diesel buses measuring 8.9m in length in stages by the end of February, completing part of the final batch of 175 diesel buses from a total of 310 units acquired by Rapid Bus since July 2025 for operations in the Klang Valley and Penang.
On procurement costs, Loke said EV buses were on average almost twice as expensive as diesel buses, with an estimated price of more than RM1 million per unit.
He said the Rapid Penang On-Demand service, which uses vans, had received encouraging response, with 50 vans currently operating in the state.
Following a request from the state government, Prasarana plans to add 170 more vans to expand the service, with the procurement process expected to begin in the second half of the year.
“This addition will provide more options for users, increase capacity and expand the coverage of public transport services in Penang,” he said.
