Going Electric: Singapore Kickstarts EV Adoption

Singapore has been toying with electric vehicle (EV) adoption for years, but no significant progress has been made to date. It aims to remedy this from 2020 with a new network of thousands of charging stations, and a new EV manufacturing facility. By Jeremy Torr.

Hyundai’s new EV manufacturing centre in Singapore. Courtesy Hyundai.

Singapore, October 2020. At a recent ceremony, Singapore PM Lee Hsien Loong announced that his government has signed a S$400 million ($295 million) deal with Korean manufacturer Hyundai to establish a new Hyundai Motor factory in Singapore which will eventually produce up to up to 30,000 electric vehicles (EVs) a year.

“This is a major step forward,” said Lee. “This facility is the first of its kind in the world. Automotive activities are once again becoming viable in Singapore. EVs have a different supply chain, fewer mechanical parts and more electronics, which all play to Singapore’s strengths,” he added.

Plenty of potential in other Asian countries - Charge+ CEO Goh Chee Kiong. Courtesy Charge+.

As well as manufacturing EVs, Singapore is poised to make owning one a viable everyday option too. A new outfit, Charge+, has plans to roll out 10,000 charging points across the island over the next ten years. “This investment will support Singapore’s goal of phasing out IC (internal combustion) engined vehicles by 2040,” said the company in a statement. Initially, Charge+ will concentrate on three key market segments - residential, commercial/industrial, and fleets. As part of this it will install charging points in public and private housing estates, with especial emphasis on condominiums where EV takeup is expected to be highest.

“The vision of the new Charge+ (business) is to address the pain points (related to owning conventional IC vehicles) faced by dense cities such as Singapore,” said Charge+ CEO Goh Chee Kiong. “Our mobility proposal is that the car is green, but the power supply is also going to be green – not immediately but in future,” he added. 

The Charge+ charger saves carpark space. Courtesy Charge+.

One unique issue faced by EV charger installers in Singapore has been size. Traditionally, many EV chargers have been bulky – but this simply won’t work in Singapore’s floorspace-poor carparks. Charge+’s slim charger design will help address this issue; it will also make the company’s design more attractive to export markets across other densely built-up Asian countries where parking is tight, said Goh. 

The new network will be rolled out in conjunction with a specially developed app which will help monitor and allocate capability throughout the network, as well as servicing users who need to locate chargers, start charging or initiate payment for a charge up. “This will become a game-changer for our EV sector. We aim to make the charging experience convenient and pleasant (as well as) affordable for residents and businesses,” said Goh.

Hyundai is equally bullish about the potential for EV business. “We will strive for … a Mobility Paradigm Shift,” noted Hyundai EVChairman Euisun Chung. “I am confident the innovations that spring from (our new Singapore facility) will shape our future global society for the better and contribute to the progress of humanity.”

The company’s new car plant will allow customers to purchase and customise vehicles online using their smartphones, and will make use of Singapore’s existing high-tech sector capabilities as well as Hyundai’s on-demand manufacturing technology. Customers will be able to monitor progress as their car is built, and once it is ready for delivery, it will be transferred to a special test track where customers can drive it in controlled conditions. In time this could even extend to aerial EVs, says Hyundai.

“The moves (to EV adoption) will introduce important new capabilities in areas such as electric vehicles and urban air mobility,” asserted Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB) Chairman, Dr. Beh Swan Gin. “This will create new opportunities for Singaporeans.”