CMS Expert Guide to Electric Vehicles Singapore - 1 | Singapore CMS Legal Services - CMS Law
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CMS Expert Guide to Electric Vehicles Singapore 1 | Singapore CMS Legal Services
Table of contents
1 What EVs have been deployed in your jurisdiction to date?
2 Is there any specific legislation for/regulation of EVs in your
jurisdiction?
3 What measures promote EVs in your jurisdiction?
4 Who are the main entities (e.g. developers, government, System
Operator) and what are their roles in the deployment of EVs in
your jurisdiction?
5 What are the main challenges to further deployment of EVs in
your jurisdiction? How have EV developers sought to overcome
these challenges to date?
2 | Singapore CMS Legal ServicesSince 2011, the Singapore government has launched a series of initiatives – led largely by the Land Transport Authority (LTA) – to determine whether EVs are suitable for Singapore. Some key initiatives are set out below. In June 2011, an inter-agency EV taskforce led by LTA announced the launch of the EV test-bed. The objective was to test and gauge different EV prototypes and charging technologies, and gather data to guide the planning of future EV development. In December 2014, the LTA and the Economic Development Board (EDB) announced plans to trial an EV car-sharing programme which would see the introduction of up to 1,000 EVs and the charging infrastructure to support their use. The primary aim of the trial was to enable the government to gain a deeper understanding of the operating models and support required for EVs to succeed on a larger scale in Singapore. In June 2016, the government announced the launch of an EV car sharing programme in collaboration with the Bolloré Group to operate BlueSG, a nationwide car sharing programme (the “BlueSG Program”) with a fleet of 1,000 EVs. These initiatives form part of the government’s wider aim to develop a “car-lite” society to reduce urban congestion and to assist it in meeting its emission targets under the Paris Agreement. 1. What EVs have been deployed in your jurisdiction to date? The EV market in Singapore is still relatively underdeveloped. At the end of 2017, there were only 520 EVs in Singapore (including plug-in hybrid vehicles). A majority of these EVs (298 units) were registered by car-sharing services such as BlueSG. However, it is anticipated that these numbers will increase significantly in the near future. Under the BlueSG Program, BlueSG Pte Ltd (a subsidiary of the Bolloré Group) will roll out a total of 500 charging stations equipped with 2,000 charging points island-wide and a fleet of 1,000 EVs. Approximately 80 cars and 32 charging stations have already been implemented. 3 | Singapore CMS Legal Services
HDT Singapore Taxi (HDT Singapore), a company which operates 100 electric-powered
taxis, applied in January 2018 to the LTA to add another 800 electric taxis to its fleet.
The status of the application is currently unclear. However, if approved, this would
more than double the number of existing EVs in Singapore.
It is expected that 50 Volvo diesel hybrid buses will be in service in the second half of
2018. This is part of LTA’s efforts to build a more environmentally-friendly public bus
fleet. According to LTA, these low-emission buses will help LTA better understand the
operational and technical challenges that come with their deployment. It is also
anticipated that LTA will be calling a tender to procure 60 electric buses, and that the
public can expect to see the deployment of electric buses by 2019.
2. Is there any specific legislation
for/regulation of EVs in your jurisdiction?
There is no specific, comprehensive legislation governing EVs in Singapore. The
legislation applicable to EVs exists in a myriad of subsidiary legislation under the Road
Traffic Act (Chapter 276). This subsidiary legislation includes:
the Road Traffic (Vehicular Emissions) Tax Rules 2017, governing the
calculation of the vehicular emission tax for taxable vehicles (including
EVs)
the Road Traffic (Motor Vehicles, Quota System) Rules, governing the
issuance of certificates of entitlement for vehicles (including EVs)
the Road Traffic (Motor Vehicles, Registration and Licensing) Rules, which
covers licensing fees and rebates for EVs
the Road Traffic (Motor Vehicle, Construction and Use) Rules, governing
the construction and installation of electrical apparatus and circuits in an
EV.
3. What measures promote EVs in your
jurisdiction?
The government has implemented the following measures to promote EVs in
Singapore:
Provision of charging infrastructure – through the BlueSG Program,
4 | Singapore CMS Legal Services2,000 charging points will be installed in Singapore, including 400
available for public use. It is intended that this will form the foundation
of a nationwide EV charging infrastructure to support wider adoption of
EVs in Singapore.
New Vehicular Emission Scheme – During the 2017 national budget
announcement, the LTA announced the Vehicular Emission Scheme
(VES), to run from 1 January 2018 to 31 December 2019. The VES sets out
a rebate and surcharge system for all new cars, taxis and newly imported
used cars with effect from 1 January 2018. The VES covers five different
pollutants. Whether a car or a taxi will enjoy a rebate or be penalised
with a surcharge is determined by its worst-performing pollutant. In June
2017, in a bid to improve the commercial viability of EVs, LTA announced
the reduction of the carbon emission factor of EVs by 20 percent. This
made it slightly easier for EVs to enjoy the rebates under the VES.
4. Who are the main entities (e.g. developers,
government, System Operator) and what
are their roles in the deployment of EVs in
your jurisdiction?
The main entities and their roles are:
Regulators and governmental bodies – The key governmental bodies
which play a role in the deployment of EVs are the LTA, the National
Environmental Agency (NEA), the Energy Market Authority (EMA) and the
EDB.LTA is the key regulator and policy maker and driver concerning EVs.
It is responsible for planning Singapore’s long-term transportation needs
and spearheads land transport developments.The remaining bodies play
a more ancillary and supporting role. For example, the NEA is
responsible for the implementation of the VES, which has an impact on
the price of EVs and, accordingly, their commercial viability. The EDB is
the lead government agency for planning and executing strategies to
position Singapore for the future. Part of EDB’s role includes co-leading
the Electro-Mobility Singapore taskforce together with the LTA. The EMA
is responsible for identifying strategic partners for test bedding,
reviewing power grid regulations and licensing requirements for EV
charging systems, and developing codes and standards.
Operators of car-sharing and taxi services – Until EVs become more
mainstream for consumers, commercial operators like BlueSG Pte Ltd
5 | Singapore CMS Legal Servicesand HDT Singapore will play a larger role in shaping the EV landscape in
Singapore. Apart from physically deploying EVs on the roads, their role
also includes the installation of the charging infrastructure for the
development of EVs in Singapore.
Property developers – One of the key challenges to the proliferation of
EVs is the lack of charging infrastructure. This issue could be alleviated if
property developers for residential, commercial and industrial projects
start installing charging stations within their projects. However, this may
be an unrealistic expectation unless there is a demand for charging
stations or developers are properly incentivised by the government to
carry out these installations.
5. What are the main challenges to further
deployment of EVs in your jurisdiction?
How have EV developers sought to
overcome these challenges to date?
The key challenges and how the relevant EV developers have sought to overcome
them are:
Cost of EVs – Generally, the cost of EVs remain higher than ICE vehicles.
This deters consumers from purchasing EVs. The introduction of the VES
rebate is meant to address this issue by bridging the difference in costs
between EVs and ICE vehicles.
Lack of charging infrastructure – The charging infrastructure in
Singapore is still largely underdeveloped. This problem is exacerbated
because approximately 80% of Singaporeans stay in non-landed, strata
public housing, which usually does not contain any charging stations. This
also means that potential EV owners who live in public housing will be
unable to install any charging stations even if they are willing to pay for
them. The LTA is seeking to overcome this problem through the
implementation of the BlueSG Program.
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