Virta and Gentari Team Up To Expand EV Charging In Southeast Asia

Finnish charging infrastructure service provider Virta has partnered with Gentari, a subsidiary of Malaysia’s Petronas Group, aimed to rapidly expand the electric vehicle (EV) charging network across Southeast Asia.

Virta & Gentari Partnership

By leveraging Virta’s EV technology expertise and Gentari’s local market presence, the charging infrastructure in Southeast Asia is targeted for development to see an increase in EV charging networks. In detail, Gentari Green Mobility, a subsidiary of Gentari, will utilize Virta’s digital platform services, technology, and industry experience to support the development and operation of EV charging infrastructure. The partnership will also focus on collaborating with third-party companies to ensure charging infrastructure interoperability in the region.

Virta has been a veteran in the EV charging network market as it has been operating in Europe for a decade and has also enabled over 1,000 charging networks across 36 countries. As a result, this brings valuable experience to the partnership since its establishing presence in Southeast Asia in 2022.

Elias Pöyry, Co-Founder and Chief Business Development Officer of Virta, expressed enthusiasm regarding the partnership’s potential stating, “This collaboration has vast potential to capture the momentum of the energy transition in Southeast Asia. Our customers and partners will benefit from our ecosystemic approach in enabling faster EV penetration across the whole region.”

As for Gentari, its clean energy platform Gentari Go, has already established a strong presence in Southeast Asia. Launched in Malaysia in February 2024, Gentari Go provides its buyers access to EV chargers in Thailand and Singapore as well. Presently, over 2,400 charging points are available across these three countries with plans to add another 2,000 charging points to the Gentari Go network by the end of 2024.

Shah Yang Razalli, Deputy CEO of Gentari and CEO of Gentari Green Mobility, expressed the company’s strategic position stating, “We already have a large footprint in the region and a deep understanding of local business needs and consumer expectations. This collaboration is crucial in executing our plans with speed and scale.”

EV Growth In Southeast Asia

Notably, the partnership between Virta and Gentari arrives when Southeast Asia is undergoing rapid growth in EV adoption with companies already constructing EV battery production plants in the region including China’s Eve Energy which is building an EV battery factor in Malaysia valued at $422 million. Furthermore, the region is projected to develop much faster than in the United States (U.S.) and European Union due to the availability of affordable EV models from local and Chinese automakers according to Virta.

As the demand for charging infrastructure gains in Southeast Asia, this partnership will play an important role in supporting the region’s transition to electric mobility. With EVs being the center of growth, the need to address more fast chargers and comprehensive charging solutions will facilitate EV adoption across Southeast Asia.

Want to learn more about EV? Thinking of buying an EV? Head over to EV.com and discover more.