Cleaner rides ahead as Rapid Bus maps out plan for 1,600 electric buses by 2031, says Loke

GEORGE TOWN, Jan 12 — Rapid Bus plans to procure 1,600 electric buses (EVs) in phases between 2026 and 2031 as part of its medium- and long-term strategy to replace most of its existing bus fleet nationwide, Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook said today.

He said 250 EV buses will be acquired in the first phase, with deliveries scheduled to take place gradually from March 2026 to March the following year.

“The first phase involves 175 EV buses for Rapid KL and 75 EV buses for Rapid Penang, which are expected to begin operations in Penang from May 2026,” he told reporters after inspecting new diesel buses for Rapid Penang outside City Hall in Padang Kota here.

Loke said the move is in line with the government’s efforts to modernise public transport, reduce carbon emissions, and support states’ aspirations towards greener mobility.

He said Rapid Penang currently operates 310 buses, the majority of which have been in service for more than 10 years and require phased replacement.

“As such, Rapid Penang has started its bus replacement programme this year with 70 new diesel buses, which will be the final batch of diesel buses before the transition to electric buses,” he said.

Of the total, 10 diesel buses arrived and began operations today, while the remaining 60 are expected to arrive next month.

All the buses measure 8.9 metres in length and will be deployed for services around Penang.

Loke said that following the final batch of diesel buses, future replacements will focus entirely on EV buses, with a target of 240 electric buses for Rapid Penang through two procurement phases by 2027.

Commenting on costs, he said EV buses are generally more expensive than diesel buses, with prices estimated at between RM1.2 million and RM1.5 million per unit, although full procurement details have yet to be announced as the tender process is still ongoing.

“The government wants to ensure the best value is obtained, which is why the total allocation has not been announced while the procurement process is still ongoing,” he said.

To support EV bus operations, Loke said Prasarana Malaysia Berhad is also developing EV charging infrastructure at Rapid Penang depots.

He added that the federal government has allocated about RM5 million specifically for bus stop upgrades, with RM1.5 million, or about 30 per cent, earmarked for Penang.

“Although the allocation is limited, efforts will be made to upgrade as many bus stops as possible based on priorities and current needs,” he said.

Meanwhile, Loke said the Rapid On-Demand service using vans was well received, with 50 vans currently operating in Penang.

He added that Prasarana is considering adding 170 EV vans starting in the second half of this year.