Spatial design considerations for a sustainable electric vehicle hub in Kuala Lumpur: a Malaysian context

Electric Vehicle (EV) infrastructure in Malaysia lacks proper spatial planning that ignores the complex multi-scalar relationships that integrate EV elements into the existing urban fabric. The objective of this study is to generate spatial design approaches for EV hubs that are efficient, effective and intra-operable with transport systems within the broader public and private sectors. As EV uptake continues to grow, there is a serious deficit of critical pre-conditions especially with respect to the effective deployment of a range of EV related facilities such as charging stations, battery swapping systems, and maintenance facilities which are critical and central to the achievement of the successful transition to electric mobility. The research establishes the spatial parameters required to enable the establishment of economically and environmentally sustainable EV hubs considering the Return of Investment (ROI), the support of the public sector and the partnership of the private sector. Looking at various components of the EV, the study also suggests how tackling the issues of spatial design can help remove some of the significant barriers to infrastructure and encourage the widespread use of EV technologies. Also, evaluation of spatial designs and integration of the EV system with other systems for the user experience of the EV users and the ICE users is conducted. Finally, this study hopes to lessen the ecological impact of EVs by integrating green building concepts and sustainable energy.