Malaysia has announced a ban on natural gas vehicles (NGVs) effective June 30, 2025, with a prohibition on new NGV registrations beginning July 1, 2025, according to Transport Minister Anthony Loke.
The decision was prompted by safety concerns, as typical NGV tanks have a safe usage period of 15 years.
With NGV modifications and installations peaking from 1995 to 2014, many tanks in use today have likely reached the end of their lifespan.
Minister Loke highlighted that NGV spare parts, especially tanks, are increasingly difficult to source in Malaysia, leading to costly repairs.
As a result, some NGV owners have resorted to using old parts from other used tanks or even installing modified liquified petroleum gas (LPG) tanks in place of NGV tanks, raising the risk of accidents.
Furthermore, the number of active NGVs in Malaysia is low, with only 44,383 registered NGVs over the past three years—equivalent to just 0.2% of the total number of vehicles in Malaysia, excluding motorcycles.
Petronas NGV has already started phasing out NGV services, with a complete withdrawal set for July 1, 2025.
In alignment with this transition, Petronas NGV introduced the Transition Assistance Programme for NGV Vehicles.
This initiative supports NGV taxi drivers and owners who wish to convert their vehicles to petrol-only or dispose of their mono-fuel NGVs.
Through the programme, NGV taxi drivers will receive a one-time e-voucher worth RM3,000 via Setel. Dual-fuel NGV owners can have their NGV kits removed at no cost at authorized workshops.
For mono-fuel NGV owners, vehicles will be assessed by an independent evaluator and then disposed of at an Authorized Automotive Treatment Facility, with payment processed within 3 to 7 working days after paperwork completion.
Meanwhile, in Nigeria, President Bola Tinubu’s administration, after it announced the removal of petrol subsidy in May 2023, launched a Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) vehicles initiative, targeted at encouraging Nigerians to convert their commercial and private vehicles from petrol to CNG.
The government further launched a free Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) conversion programme for vehicles at six designated locations across Lagos State.
The government said the initiative, facilitated by the Presidential Compressed Natural Gas Initiative (PCNGi), aims to provide a cost-effective alternative to petrol for vehicle owners.
The government had also announced that the Presidential Compressed Natural Gas Initiative (PCNGi) is working in collaboration with transporters in the country to slash transport costs and empower 2000 Nigerian youths with tricycles, popularly known as Keke Napep.
However, in October, an explosion occurred at the NIPCO filling station in Aduwawa, Edo State, when a car using CNG exploded during refueling.
But the PCNGi said that the explosion was caused by an illegally modified and welded cylinder, which is not approved and fit for CNG use.