Malaysia Road Tax Guide 2026 (Petrol and EV)

Road tax in Malaysia depends on what your car runs on. Petrol cars pay by engine size, and battery electric cars pay by motor power. This guide shows both, with worked examples from the same rules as the Road Tax Calculator and the EV Road Tax Calculator.

Petrol cars: engine size decides

For a private saloon in Peninsular Malaysia, the rate rises with engine capacity. Up to 1,600cc it is a flat amount for each band. Above that, you pay a base amount plus a charge for each cc over the start of the band.

Example: a 1,998cc saloon falls in the 1,801 to 2,000cc band. The tax is RM280 plus RM0.50 for each cc over 1,800, which is RM379 a year. A 1,500cc car pays RM90.

The rates follow the JPJ structure published by the Road Transport Department (JPJ). Always check JPJ or MyJPJ for the amount on your own renewal.

Small changes in engine size can move you across a band. A 1,600cc saloon pays RM90, but a 1,601cc one pays RM200.40, because the per-cc charge starts above 1,600cc. At 2,000cc the tax is RM380, and at 3,000cc it is RM2,130. Read the capacity on your Geran, not the number on the badge.

How the per-cc part works

Above 1,600cc the tax is a base amount plus a rate for each cc above the start of the band. For a saloon in Peninsular Malaysia:

• 1,601 to 1,800cc: RM200 plus RM0.40 for each cc above 1,600
• 1,801 to 2,000cc: RM280 plus RM0.50 for each cc above 1,800
• 2,001 to 2,500cc: RM380 plus RM1.00 for each cc above 2,000
• 2,501 to 3,000cc: RM880 plus RM2.50 for each cc above 2,500
• Above 3,000cc: RM2,130 plus RM4.50 for each cc above 3,000

So a 2,500cc car pays RM380 plus 500 × RM1.00, which is RM880. Each step is steep, so a car just over a band edge can cost much more than one just under it.

Where you register matters

Sabah, Sarawak and Labuan have their own, lower rates for private saloons. The same 1,998cc saloon pays RM273.50 there instead of RM379.

The full picture for four engine sizes:

MPVs, SUVs and pickups

These use a separate non-saloon schedule. It is not a multiple of the saloon one. The same 1,998cc engine in a non-saloon body pays RM439.20 in Peninsular Malaysia. That is dearer than a saloon for small engines, but at 2,500cc and above the non-saloon rate is lower. Check your Geran to see how your vehicle is classed.

Electric cars: motor power decides

Since 1 January 2026, battery electric (BEV) and fuel-cell (FCEV) cars pay road tax by motor output in kilowatts, after the road tax holiday that ran from 2022 to 2025. The Ministry of Transport (MOT) and JPJ set the structure. Three points to remember:

• Use the kW figure on the vehicle's Geran (the field is called "Keupayaan Enjin"), not the battery size in kWh.
• Dual-motor and AWD cars use the combined output of the motors.
• The rate is the same across the country and for private or company registration.

The tax is counted in 10 kW blocks. Within a power band you pay a base rate plus a fixed step for each block above the start of the band. Above 1,010 kW the tax is a flat RM20,000.

Plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) are not in this scheme. They stay on the engine-size table above.

Two more examples show how the bands work. A 250 kW car pays RM395 and a 393 kW car pays RM1,015. A car at 100.1 kW has just crossed into the next band and pays RM80, not RM70.

A quick comparison

A 1,998cc petrol saloon pays RM379 a year. A 150 kW electric car pays RM160. Road tax is a small part of what a car costs, so look at the whole picture with the EV vs Petrol Calculator and our car ownership guide.

Renewing

JPJ lists MyJPJ as its online service for the public, and the Ministry of Transport has published an explainer on digital road tax and licence. Check JPJ for how to renew your own vehicle.

The figures follow our rates files, which match the JPJ and MOT structures. Check JPJ for your exact vehicle and region.