Debated in Parliament on 2 Jul 2024.
Mr Yip Hon Weng asked the Minister for Transport (a) what are the Ministry's plans to make the cost and convenience of owning electric vehicles (EVs) more favourable for consumers in Singapore; and (b) whether an update can be provided on the progress of developing EV charging infrastructure to ensure sufficient support and convenient access for the increasing number of EVs in Singapore.
The Government has introduced financial incentives for motorists who choose to purchase a cleaner energy vehicle. These include, the Electric Vehicle (EV) Early Adoption Incentive and Enhanced Vehicular Emissions Scheme that lower the upfront cost of owning an EV by up to $40,000 in 2024. We enacted the Electric Vehicles Charging Act in December 2023 to ensure the safety, reliability and accessibility of our charging network. The EV Common Charger Grant, introduced in 2021, also co-funds the cost of installing EV chargers at non-landed private residences, such as condominiums. As a result of these measures, EV adoption has increased significantly. For 2024, thus far, about one out of three new cars sold in Singapore is an EV, as compared to about 18% in 2023.
The installation of EV charging infrastructure is on track to support a larger EV population, with more than 7,100 EV charging points across Singapore today, and more than a third of HDB carparks installed with charging points. The ECCG has also supported the installation of more than 1,100 EV chargers in NLPRs. We encourage more NLPRs to step forward to tap on the remaining grant support for around 900 chargers.
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