Malaysia will implement a ban on natural gas vehicles (NGVs) starting June 30, 2025, with new NGV registrations prohibited from July 1, 2025, Transport Minister Anthony Loke announced.
The move stems from safety concerns, as NGV tanks typically have a 15-year safe usage lifespan.
Many NGVs, especially those modified between 1995 and 2014, likely have tanks nearing the end of their safe life. Loke pointed out that spare parts, particularly tanks, are becoming increasingly scarce in Malaysia, leading to expensive repairs. Some NGV owners have resorted to using parts from old tanks or replacing NGV tanks with modified liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) tanks, raising safety risks.
Currently, there are only 44,383 NGVs in use in Malaysia, representing just 0.2% of the country’s vehicle fleet, excluding motorcycles. Petronas NGV has already begun phasing out its NGV services, with a complete cessation scheduled for July 1, 2025.
In response, Petronas NGV launched the Transition Assistance Programme for NGV vehicles. This program offers NGV taxi drivers and owners one-time e-vouchers worth RM3,000 and provides free removal of NGV kits for dual-fuel vehicles at authorized workshops. Mono-fuel NGV owners can have their vehicles assessed and disposed of at Authorized Automotive Treatment Facilities, with payment processed within 3 to 7 working days.
In contrast, Nigeria’s government, following its removal of the petrol subsidy in May 2023, introduced a Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) initiative to encourage vehicle conversions from petrol to CNG. The initiative includes a free CNG conversion program at six designated locations in Lagos, facilitated by the Presidential Compressed Natural Gas Initiative (PCNGi), which aims to provide an affordable alternative to petrol. Additionally, the initiative collaborates with transporters to reduce transportation costs and empower 2,000 Nigerian youths with tricycles.
However, in October, an explosion occurred at a NIPCO filling station in Edo State when a CNG-powered car exploded during refueling. The PCNGi clarified that the explosion resulted from an illegally modified and welded cylinder, which was not approved for CNG use.
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