Reader Response Draft #3

 In the article, “Electric vehicles will take over Singapore”, Kuttan (2020) stated that by 2040, Singapore targets to phase out internal combustion vehicles and move towards the wider adoption of electric vehicles (EVs). The article mentioned factors like lack of national charging infrastructure, high cost of EVs, the driving range and charging time is of concern. Despite that, the Singapore government has set a goal of creating 28,000 charging points, with the participation of private-sector authorities. The author also stated ways to expedite the adoption of EVs through measures like creating a separate Certification of Entitlement (COE) and having sufficient technical personnel with relevant skills to upkeep the ecosystem. Additionally, offering incentives in early conversion schemes can aid in the speed of rolling out EVs. Kuttan concluded Singapore was on the right track but the road to success would need more than just the government’s efforts to come through. In order for Singapore to completely adopt EVs, government organizations, private associated companies and land developers must participate in this EV revolution actively.

Private associated companies are remarkably important in the adoption of EVs. Without them, government organizations might have to double the effort in order to achieve the same goal. For example, "BlueSG, the first large-scale EV car-sharing service in Singapore, has seen high membership and rental figures, with more than 3,300 registered members and 5,000 rentals and has announced ambitious plans of a 1,000-strong electric vehicle fleet and 2,000 charging points by 2020." (Kuttan,2019). Having a broad and dependable charging base is critical to the success of more EVs on Singapore roadways. The numbers of electric charging points under BlueSG are slowly increasing, and if all are to be implemented by the government associated companies, it might take longer than expected.

Concurrently, government associated companies like the SP Group are also working closely towards achieving the broad charging base infrastructure. Presently, the SP Group offers 340 charging outlets at 71 places around the island, including retail malls, business parks, and industrial areas, with one-third of them being high-speed DC chargers (Abdullah,2021). Moreover, "four Caltex service stations will soon offer fast charging for electric vehicles, in a partnership between SP Group and Chevron Singapore."(Leo,2021). With the trend, soon or sooner, there will be more partnerships between government associated companies and private associated companies working towards the same goal. 

Apart from the hard work in ensuring enough charging infrastructure from both government and private associated companies, the interoperability of charging access cards has to be put into consideration. For instance, using one card across different EV operators. By doing so, users would be able to cross charge among different operators and increase the availability of all the charging stations. This would greatly benefit the EV users with the ease of accessing different charging points and also convince more people to switch to EVs. To achieve the interoperability of different charging access cards, the government must take the lead and espousing compatibility.

Other than the cooperation of private associated companies to put in the effort to increase and maintain the charging stations, the building or land developers must also be involved in this endeavour to prepare for the future. Places like the carpark in a shopping mall or private estate, are essential to install the charging stations. With sufficient charging points and high accessibility, people are more likely to choose an EV. On top of that, the government sector authority such as Singapore's Building and Construction Authority (BCA) is rewarding the parties for allotting space and sustaining charging infrastructure. The Green Mark system by BCA encourages building owners to adopt ecologically sustainable measures, by granting extra points to those who assign carparks in buildings with such infrastructure. By 2030, the government expects to have 60,000 charging stations in public parking lots and private buildings, more than double its initial target of 28,000. Over the next 5 years, the government will also set S$30 million for electric vehicle-related enterprises.

However, just the effort of private associated companies and land developers are still not enough. The initial cost of the electric vehicle in Singapore is still the main concern. “Hyundai Ioniq Electric” is a type of EV that cost $150,000 as compared to the hybrid version which cost $100,000 (Abdullah, 2021). Cost is the major factor for most buyers when considering a new vehicle. Overall, EVs cost more than petrol cars. But with the various incentives and rebates granted by the Singapore government, prices can be similar. For instance," the MG HS, a petrol sport utility vehicle, costs S$130,000 with a Certificate of Entitlement. The MG ZS electric vehicle costs S$129,000 after factoring in a S$20,000 EV Early Adoption Incentive and a S$25,000 rebate under the Vehicular Emissions Scheme" (Neo &Siong,2021). In general, to achieve success in this revolution, government organizations, private associated companies and land developers must participate actively.

Nonetheless, EVs, on the other hand, are critical in reducing global warming. It's a brave step forward since it acknowledges the existential threat posed by climate change. Singapore will be one of the first few beneficiaries of the EV revolution, with adequate charging infrastructure, knowledge, and regulations in place. The rolling of EVs helps Singapore to achieve numerous advantages in the transportation and building sectors, leading to a more sustainable Singapore.

 

 

References:

Abdullah, A. Z. (2021, May 28). SP Group partners with SMRT subsidiary to provide Electric Vehicle Charging Solutions. Channel News Asia. https://www.channelnewsasia.com/business/strides-sp-group-smrt-electric-vehicle-1414646. 

Abdullah, A., 2021. Obstacles remain in electric vehicle adoption despite incentives, say transport experts and drivers. Channel News Asia. https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/obstacles-remain-electric-vehicle-despite-incentives-transport-359331

Kuttan, S. C. (2020, May 4). Commentary: Electric vehicles will take over Singapore. But here’s what must happen first. Channel News Asia. https://www.channelnewsasia.com/commentary/singapore-budget-2020-electric-vehicles-ice-ves-hybrid-car-2040-1338746

Kuttan, S. C. (2019, April 14). Commentary: Where are all the Electric Vehicle Charging Points? Channel News Asia. https://www.channelnewsasia.com/commentary/singapore-electric-vehicle-adoption-charging-stations-coe-catego-895041. 

Leo, L. (2021, March 22). Selected Caltex stations to offer fast electric vehicle charging. Channel News Asia. https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/caltex-electric-vehicle-car-fast-charging-sp-chevron-273256

Neo, C. C., & Siong, O. (2021, June 19). Electric vehicles may be fast and low-maintenance, but are they a real climate solution? Channel News Asia. https://www.channelnewsasia.com/electric-vehicles-may-be-fast-and-low-maintenance-are-they-real-climate-solution-2030271.