SINGAPORE: Parliament on Wednesday passed legislation to encourage the adoption of electric vehicles in Singapore amid a rise in registrations.
The Bill also provides safeguards against unsafe charging. For example, EV chargers capable of charging detachable EV batteries will not be allowed in residences because of the risk of battery fires, the minister added. This regime will only cover EV charging operators that provide charging services to the public, but coverage can be expanded in the future, added Mr Iswaran.
MOT and LTA “will work with the industry to ensure this, even as we design an effective licensing regime”, he added.by end-2025, in line with the Government’s plan to deploy 60,000 charging points across Singapore by 2030.More than 10 Members of Parliament spoke on the Bill on Wednesday, raising concerns ranging from EV affordability to inadvertent fires caused by EV charging - while expressing support for the legislation.
Mr Don Wee also asked whether the Government would consider rebates or incentives such as waivers of Electronic Road Pricing and road tax, to attract potential EV buyers. Mr Iswaran added that the Government “directly incentivises the adoption of the kinds of vehicles that we would like to promote through other policy tools”. For instance, the EV Early Adoption Incentive and the enhanced Vehicular Emissions Scheme together provide a combined rebate of up to S$45,000 off the upfront cost of an electric car.
“LTA worked with the Singapore Civil Defence Force to update the fire code last year to enhance the fire safety requirements for buildings that install EV chargers. Under the revised fire code, EV chargers must have an isolation switch to cut off the electricity supply to the EV charger to facilitate emergency response,” he told the House.