CNG vehicle safety: Presidency speaks amid Malaysia’s phase-out plans

The Malaysian government’s plan to phase out natural gas-powered vehicles by July 2025 has sparked strong reactions in Nigeria, especially as the country continues to advocate for Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) as a safer and more affordable alternative to petrol.

Malaysia’s transport minister, Loke Siew Fook, announced several measures aimed at phasing out the use of CNG for vehicles and CNG-powered vehicles, citing safety concerns.

Loke said CNG (NGV in Malaysia)-powered vehicles can no longer be registered to be used in Malaysia from July 1, 2025.

He said this was for the safety of road users and the public, adding that there were only about 44,383 CNG vehicles currently, accounting for just 0.2% of vehicles, not including motorcycles.

“The NGV tanks of these vehicles are now reaching the end of their service life and need to be replaced, and NGV tanks typically have a safe usage period of 15 years,” Fook said.

Reacting to the development, Onanuga clarified that Malaysia’s policy was centered on the safety of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), rather than CNG.

Onanuga also pointed out that Malaysia’s shift away from petrol and diesel had been largely ineffective, with just 0.2% of vehicles converted over 15 years, while Nigeria’s advancements in tank manufacturing capacity set it apart as a key game-changer.

“Some clarification on Malaysia’s plan to phase out CNG-powered vehicles,” Onanuga said in a post on X on Tuesday.

“The Malaysian issue relates to the safety of LPG, NOT CNG. In the original report, Transport Minister Anthony Loke stated, ‘There are also some car owners who have modified their vehicles using liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cylinders, which are very dangerous.’

“NGV covers both CNG and LPG. Nigeria, in its transition, has adopted CNG ONLY, not both, due to valid safety and cost concerns regarding LPG.

“Malaysia’s programme for CNG-powered vehicles struggled, achieving only a 0.2% conversion rate over 15 years. By contrast, nations like India, China, Iran, and Egypt have seen considerable success.

“The end of 15 year CNG tank cycle means they need to replace tanks and it was easier/cheaper to scrap their program and continue with their petrol than to do so if they had not built tank manufacturing capacity which Nigeria is already developing in year one,” he added.