Electric car-sharing firm BlueSG has opened its 100th charging station in Singapore as it has more than 17,000 members on its books, which is about nine times the 2,000 or so members recorded at its launch last December.
The newest station is located at the Pinnacle@Duxton at 1 Cantonment Road. Its charging stations are in various parts of the island, including Ang Mo Kio, Bedok, Jurong East and Tampines.
Operator blueSG noted on Wednesday (3 October) that there has been strong demand for its services – although it has yet to make a profit.
It also said that there were some 70,000 rentals as of the end of last month with more than 10,000 in September alone.
Currently, the service has 230 electric cars and 100 charging stations comprising of 393 charging points. During its launch, there were 80 cars and about 30 charging stations.
BlueSG managing director Franck Vitte said that with 100 charging stations and a presence in nearly every town, it has become a “convenient and competitive commuting option” that complements the public transport network.
He then added that more importantly, BlueSG is becoming a viable alternative to car ownership and some of the company’s users have already started selling off their private vehicles.
According to the company, it has received more than 6,000 requests for new stations, and is working with the authorities and private landlords to expand its network.
Mr Vitte told Channel NewsAsia, “Shopping malls, universities and the airport – there is a very strong demand. So we are working with the different stakeholders, some of them are very enthusiastic, such as the shopping malls. And with some of them, it is taking more time depending on their willingness to have our service within their premises.”
BlueSG is tying up with Sembcorp Power, which is the electricity retail arm of utilities, marine and urban development group Sembcorp Industries, to supply electricity to its charging stations.
The company then stated that the electric car-sharing operator’s mobile application has also been refreshed with a new function that allows users to register for the next available car or parking spot, and find out if they are next in the queue, which will enable its members to better plan their transport needs.
BlueSG also makes an offer of one-hour free rental to all its “premium” members who clock more than 100 minutes of rental between Wednesday and next Friday of To mark the opening of its 100th charging station.
Premium members subscribe to a yearly plan, at S$15 monthly, and pay 33 cents a minute to rent a car. While, weekly members pay a higher fee of 50 cents per minute. All users must rent the cars for at least 15 minutes.
