Reader Response Draft #1

In this article “Electric vehicles will take over Singapore. But here’s what must happen first”, Kuttan (2020) stated a few major aspects of how moving forward with electric vehicles is not without its challenges. For Singapore to be able to phase out internal combustion engine vehicles and match standards of countries like Norway by the year 2040, it must be able to meet the supply and demand of operating electric vehicles (EV) here. Kuttan also explained how enticing the Singaporean population to make the switch to EVs is important, by giving them more to gain from doing so. Kuttan (2020) also concluded that the aspect of the government having to work with private companies in the different sectors that would be playing a major role in making this the future. Thus, leading to the goal of reduction in the carbon footprints and road congestion in Singapore. While the idea of moving from internal combustion engine vehicles to electric vehicles is a great idea, Singapore must first address the issue of consumer concerns and the lack of charging infrastructure.

There are 3 major consumer concerns that have been at the forefront of the slow adoption of EVs in Singapore. From an interview with Mr Kumail Rashid, Asia-Pacific e-mobility division lead of electric vehicle charging infrastructure builder ABB, stated that one of the main concerns of EV consumers here is the degradation of batteries in EVs and claim of the hassle of its replacement being an inconvenience to them. Consumers still feels this way even with EV manufactures working hard on improving battery management system to prevent battery degradation.

Next is the cost of owning EVs in Singapore. Consumers tend to look at the total cost of ownership, which specifically points towards the cost of charging to operate the vehicle. Integration of both solar and grid power could be one of the methods proposed by Mr Kumail Rashid to bring down the cost of charging of EVs.

Lastly, is the lack of charging infrastructure here in Singapore. Yes, there are currently 1600 charging points here, but it is still just a tiny fraction of the actual number of vehicles being operated on the roads. The lack of charging infrastructure here has led to the even slower growth of EV adoption amongst Singaporean consumers.

Upon researching more into these consumer concerns, it has been found that the Singapore government and the related industry partners of EVs have addressed said concerns. When it comes to battery degradation, there are methods of slowing this down by switching to slow charging after hitting the 80% mark. Also, how EV manufacturers have participated actively in ensuring the preventing of battery degradation after a few years of use. This includes combining revolutionary battery management system and cooling technologies for a better overall EVs performance.

The Singapore government also has plans for further expansion of about 600 EV chargers throughout 200 public carparks around Singapore over the span of the next 1 year. The plan of installing said charging points in the central region, north, north-east, and west of Singapore by the third quarter of 2022 is a step in the right direction. However, for Singapore to achieve their 2040 goal, these number needs to match or surpass the number of vehicles on the roadway before the goal of 2040. The reason behind this is consumer confidence, knowing that they have the convenience of charging their EVs in their own carparks when they do make the switch. 

Seeing how there are different methods and ideas addressing the concerns of consumers, the Singapore government should do a better job of conveying these information to the general population of Singapore if they want to achieve their goal of the adoption of EVs here by 2040.

 

References:

Kuttan.S (2020,23 Feb). 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

Tan.C (2021, 30 July). Electrifying Drive: Q&A on concerns about EV ownership. Straits Times

https://www.straitstimes.com/life/motoring/electrifying-drive-qa-on-concerns-about-ev-ownership

Wei.T.T (2021, 03 Jan). 620 electric vehicle chargers to be installed at public carparks in the next 12 months. Straits Times

https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/transport/620-electric-vehicle-chargers-to-be-installed-at-public-carparks-in-the-next-12

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