Debated in Parliament on 4 Oct 2021.
Dr Lim Wee Kiak asked the Minister for Transport (a) what has been the utilisation rate of existing charging points (CPs) for electric vehicles; (b) what has been the response from owners of private premises such as condominiums or retail malls regarding the installation of CPs at these premises; (c) whether the installation of CPs will be made a mandatory part of new building plans; and (d) whether there are plans to install separate CPs for electric-powered motorcycles.
There are about 2,100 electric light vehicles, or EVs, and 2,100 charging points in Singapore today. Current utilisation rates per charger is thus likely to be low, since a typical electric car only requires a full charge once every five to seven days. Nevertheless, EV adoption has picked up pace, and utilisation rates are likely to increase.
There is strong interest from owners of retail malls and non-landed private residences such as condominiums to install EV chargers. For the latter group, interest has grown since the launch of the EV Common Charger Grant in July, which defrays part of the cost of installing a charger. So far, more than 50 condominium management corporations and EV charging operators have reached out to LTA to enquire about the Grant and register their interest.
Beyond the immediate term, the Government plans to require car parks in new developments to provide for sufficient electrical capacity to support EV charging, and ensure that a minimum number of charging points are installed. Given that EVs will form a significant part of our vehicle population in future, it is in the interest of building owners to make these provisions. These provisions should cater to the charging of all light vehicles including motorcycles, and take into account expected EV demand and daily charging needs. EV charging operators are also studying whether cars and motorcycles can share the same charging point. That will largely depend on the site-specific configuration of parking lots and the charging systems used by cars and motorcycles.
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